Then And Now
by Bill K
Summary: A mysterious force that controls people's bodies threatens Crystal Tokyo, harkening back to the first adversary the senshi ever faced, and may force Cere to retire.
1. The Demon Puppet Master

THEN AND NOW  
Chapter 1: "The Demon Puppet Master"  
A Neo-Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

* * *

Sailor Moon and all related characters are (c)2014 by Naoko Takeuchi and are used without permission, but with respect. Story is (c)2014 by Bill K.

* * *

The Promenade in Crystal Tokyo was in chaos. Shoppers and tourists all ran in blind panic as a small group of people blew through the area on a mission of murder and mayhem. Armed with knives, the strange contingent of Japanese men and women set upon anyone living, stabbing and slashing with little regard to age, sex or position. Already dozens lay dead or bleeding. Such things were almost unheard of in the utopia that Queen Serenity had given birth to over an arduous thousand year reign. Here, people lived in peace.

Several officers of the city's Civil Defense and Protection force were converging on the scene. Forcing their way through the fleeing civilians, they headed for the pack. At a safe distance, one signaled the other two officers. Then each one pulled a device from the belt all officers wore and placed it on the pavement. Engaging the devices remotely, the officers watched as an electrical barrier sprang up between each device, creating a triangular fence around the mob to contain them without endangering the officers.

Madly, though, the mob pressed against the barrier, trying to break through it. Electrical energy sizzled against flesh, burning it with prolonged exposure. The pain caused by the discharge should have forced the rioting humans back. Instead, they pressed harder against the barrier until several forced their way through.

"Look out! They're loose!" shouted one of the officers.

A rioter, a youth of seventeen, sprinted toward the officer with ominous intent, his long blade knife gleaming in the sun. The officer gave ground, then pulled his shock club and swung it. Ducking underneath, the youth lunged forward and slashed upward. The blade caught the officer under his helmet across his chin, its edge opening up the skin and spattering blood across its metal surface.

More and more of the rioters shoved their way through the barrier, ignoring the searing pain and scorched flesh such actions brought about. The other two officers gave ground while trying to work their way over to the third officer. He was on the ground trying to ward off his attacker, who stood over him and repeatedly plunged the knife downward. Only the officer's chest armor had saved his life thus far.

Then a turbine's whine grew until it flooded the area. The violent mob looked up and saw an air car swing around and set down in the Promenade near them. Moments after the landing, Eternal Sailor Moon emerged, flanked by her five senshi.

"Contain and subdue!" she ordered, her pink hair flailing around her in the back draft kicked up by the air car. The five senshi nodded and fanned out.

"Fauna Assimilation - Boa constrictor!" Sailor Vesta shouted. Changing into a twenty foot boa, Vesta shot toward the nearest of the rioters. Grasping a wrist in her mouth, Vesta wound her body around the woman before she could bring the knife into play. Quickly the rioter was caught in the snake's strong coils and helpless.

"Aqua Initiation!" yelled Sailor Juno. Forming small globes of water in her hands, Juno fired them at the knife-wielding rioters. The projectiles impacted with the power of a fist, knocking people down like bowling pins.

Without hesitation, Sailor Saturn jumped into the middle of several rioters, her glaive at the ready. With the grace and speed of a ballet dancer, Saturn moved with deadly precision, knocking knives from hands with the force and momentum of her glaive. In some cases, the glaive severed the knife at the hilt. At no time though did her glaive come close to cutting flesh. She was that precise. Once disarmed, Saturn used the handle to trip or stun the rioters to the ground.

"This is going way too slow," muttered Sailor Ceres. "Floral Stimulation!"

Pushing their way out of the seams of the pavement, plant tendrils began to grow and wind their way around the legs of the combatants. Several slashed at the plants with their knives, drawing winces of pain from Ceres. Pressing on, she caused the plants to grow taller and thicker, capturing the arms of the rioters and holding much of the mob immobile.

"I think we've got them under control now," Sailor Moon shouted to her crew. She materialized the Moon Tier in her hands, her pink hair billowing behind her. "I'll sedate them so they won't give us any more trouble."

"We've got them now," Ceres said to one of the officers. "Is your partner all right?"

"We've got a medical team en route," the officer, a woman, replied.

"Princess!" Sailor Pallas spoke up. "Pallas can hear two voices in their heads!"

"Someone's controlling them?" Sailor Moon asked.

"Pallas doesn't think it's a someone," Pallas responded. "Pallas doesn't like the other voice! It's icky and scary!"

Immediately Sailor Moon was on her senshi communicator.

"Aunt Rei?" the Princess said. "We've got a situation down at the Promenade that's going to need your expertise. Can you get here like soonest?"

"On my way," was the response.

While Sailor Ceres concentrated on her tendril plants, she didn't see the sudden change in the demeanor of the officer next to her. The woman stared for a moment, then bent down and picked up a knife that one of the rioters had dropped. Sailor Moon, though, saw it all.

"CERES, LOOK OUT!" she screamed.

Though she tried to cut the distance between them in time, Sailor Moon saw the officer suddenly raise the blade and plunge it into Sailor Ceres' back. Pallas shrieked in terror. Saturn, Juno and Vesta all turned and saw Sailor Moon sail into the officer, her boot finding the woman's jaw. Ceres seemed to stand rigidly for a moment, her mouth open and her eyes wide with shock. Then the strength drained out of her legs and she slumped to the pavement.

With the control of their mistress gone, Ceres' plants went slack and no longer held the rioters. With ease they pulled free and set out to continue their murderous rampage. But Sailor Moon was far from finished.

"SILVER MOON CRYSTAL POWER KISS!" she shouted.

Pink energy blanketed the area like a tsunami wave, rolling over everything in its path. It seized all of the rioters. They went rigid, then sagged. Their arms dropped to their sides. The knives dropped from their hands and clattered onto the pavement. A collective sigh emerged from them. Then, as one, they all sank to the ground in a euphoric stupor.

Sailor Moon turned back to the fallen Ceres. Saturn and Pallas were already by her side, with Juno and Vesta rapidly converging. Pallas was openly crying. Sailor Moon was about to ask Saturn how badly Ceres was hurt, but stopped when she saw Saturn's violet aura flare.

"Are you trying to heal her?" Sailor Moon asked, hoping the answer was 'yes'. That would mean there was a spark of life left to heal.

"I'm just keeping her alive," Saturn whispered from her healing trance. "We need to get her to the palace medical bay quickly."

"Juno, get the air car started!" barked Sailor Moon. "Vesta, you and I will get her into the air car!"

"Pallas will do it!" Pallas said forcefully. She was still choked with tears, but her jaw was set. "Beautiful Incantation!"

Telekinetically Ceres was lifted up into the air. Saturn rose with her, keeping her hands on Ceres and her violent aura flowing. Pallas and Saturn guided Ceres into the air car. Vesta was about to follow, but stopped when Sailor Moon stopped. She turned and saw the Princess was looking out at all of the fallen rioters.

"You go ahead," Sailor Moon said, barely keeping control of her emotions. "I'll stay here - - make sure they don't wake up and start killing people again."

Vesta stared for a moment. "Right," she nodded respectfully, then plunged into the air car. "LIFT OFF, JUNO!"

The air car rose up from the pavement, turned toward the palace and shot off. Moments later Rei Hino came running up.

"You were right to call me," Rei said. "I can already sense its presence."

Sailor Moon's lower lip trembled.

* * *

_Three years earlier: Cere-Cere fought through a moment of confusion. They had been watching Sailor Moon and Sailor Chibi-Moon desperately trying to invoke the Golden Crystal in order to halt Queen Nehelenia's takeover of Earth. She and her "sisters", now free of the corrupting influence of Nehelenia and bereft of powers as well, could only hope that the two senshi would succeed, for all their sakes. She had no illusions about what Nehelenia would do to them should Sailor Moon fail. _

_And then she'd felt a tug at the back of her brain. Sailor Chibi-Moon's words, about not surrendering beautiful dreams, resonated. She heard them with her ears, but she heard an echo as well in the back of her mind. It was like Chibi-Moon was touching her through the crystal itself. Did Cere-Cere still have beautiful dreams? Searching her mind, the girl immediately realized that she did. Living in a wonderful grove of flowers and trees, lush and green and elegant, with a handsome, exciting man by her side - - she had thought it a fantasy more than anything, but it must have qualified as a beautiful dream. With that, the Golden Crystal began to flare. Nehelenia screamed, in frustration and anger as much as pain._

_And then Cere was back here. She recognized it now. It was the little camp she and her sisters had set up in the jungle near the Amazon River - - hardly the lush grove of flowers and trees she had dreamed of, just as her sisters were hardly the handsome man she fantasized about. Still, it was better than where she had just been. The clearing seemed unchanged from when she last saw it, that moment that Nehelenia had come to them and offered them riches and power in exchange for their beautiful dreams. _

_And they had foolishly accepted._

"_Was that real?" Cere heard Jun say. She looked over, through the grass. Near a tree, Jun was sitting, her head in one hand and a haunted look on her face. "Did we actually do that?"_

"_It was real," grunted Ves. She was walking up from further along, near the little makeshift shelter they'd created. "Should have known it would be too good to be true, though. I_ _thought that Nehelenia had a wrong vibe. But I didn't listen to myself." Ves scowled. "Got too greedy."_

"_Were we actually going to help that woman plunge the entire world into eternal night?" Jun asked. She seemed ready to come apart at the seems. "Destroy all of humanity?"_

"_No big loss," Ves sneered. "Humanity is overrated. I'm just mad that we got double-crossed." She made a face. "Wish I had one more shot at Nehelenia."_

"_Listen to yourself!" Jun gasped. "We were about to betray EVERYONE ON THE PLANET! And all you care about is the promise of power that you lost!"_

"_So? What's anyone ever done for me?" Ves roared back. "What have they ever done for you?" She leaned into Jun belligerently. "Sure, Cere came from a cushy background. You've never had nothing in your life! You don't even know who your parents are! And anything I ever managed to scrounge for myself got taken away from me! Hell, Palla-Palla's mom dumped her in a store and walked out of her life! THAT'S the humanity you're so worried about?" Ves spit on the ground. "Serve 'em right."_

_Then Ves stopped and thought._

"_Hey, where is Palla-Palla?" Ves asked._

_The three girls headed back to their "home", a shack constructed of scrounged scrap metal. As they walked, each one searched around them for a sign of their fourth. Once they were in sight of the shack, the three spotted Palla-Palla. The girl sat against the shack, her legs pulled up to her chest. Something was in her hands and she just stared at it. As they got closer, each girl could see what it was: a miniature figurine of a unicorn. _

"_Hey, Stupid," Ves said, concern muting her voice. "What's wrong?"_

_The girl sighed and stared at the figurine. "Palla-Palla misses the horsie."_

_Ves patted her sister on the head. Jun turned to Cere, arms folded over her chest._

"_So what do we do now?" Jun asked._

_Cere expelled an uncertain breath. This was just so confusing._

"_I don't know," Cere replied. She glanced at the ramshackle dwelling. "I sure don't want to stay here any longer."_

"_I'm not going back," Ves declared resolutely. "To the orphanage. I'll stick with you three wherever - - EXCEPT there. I'll go back to the streets. I know people. Maybe hook up with Sancha again. But I'm not going back."_

"_There's nothing for us in the city," Jun added. _

"_There's nothing for us here," countered Cere. "As beautiful as this area is, we don't have any future here."_

"_You just have to know how to live here," Jun argued. "I spent years in this environment with Mi Padre. It's not a bad life."_

"_It's not what I want," Cere shook her head. "I'm too much of a creature of comfort. I love this lush green, but I love video and pretty clothes and art galleries and dancing - - and everything."_

_An awkward silence fell over the group._

"_We don't have to split up," Palla-Palla said suddenly, emotion coloring her voice. Everyone looked at her._

"_Who said anything about splitting up?" Jun asked._

"_Cere-Cere thinks we should split up," Palla-Palla sniffed. _

"_When did she say that?" Ves asked. She and Jun were confused, while Cere looked at Palla-Palla in shock._

"_She didn't," Palla-Palla replied with some guilt. "Palla-Palla just heard it in her head. Palla-Palla hears things with her head the way people hear things with their ears."_

"_Since when?" marveled Ves._

"_Since always. Palla-Palla can hear what people think. But not if she tries to. Only if she's not really listening."_

"_This is amazing," Jun whispered in awe._

"_Amazing?" Ves asked. "This could be our shot!"_

"_How so?" Cere asked warily._

"_I know places in Sao Paulo that have card games," Ves continued. "We get in, Palla-Palla reads what the other players have, she lets me know - - we clean up."_

"_But isn't that cheating?" Palla-Palla asked._

"_More like using your talents to your advantage," Ves answered._

"_And what if they suspect?" Jun asked incredulously._

"_We move on," shrugged Ves. "I can always find a game."_

"_Ves," huffed Cere. "Didn't you learn ANYTHING from what we just went through?"_

"_Yeah," Ves scowled. "Don't trust anybody but us."_

"_No! Absolutely not! You're not using Palla-Palla to rig card games!"_

"_God, you are such a Priss!" raged Ves._

"_Stop calling me a Priss!" fumed Cere._

"_Why should I listen to you anyway? You're the one who wants to split up from us!" Ves growled. "You never did belong with us anyway! Miss High And Mighty Diplomat's Daughter! You probably want us all to go back to Sao Paulo and get 'respectable jobs' and 'be pillars of the community' and all that crap! Yeah, I can see it, busting my hump for a few pennies, doing the grunt work to make somebody else a success! How the Hell is that different from what we were doing for Nehelenia?" Ves stuck out her chin. "Well not me! I look out for me now! And I look out for Palla-Palla, and Jun if she sticks! You go chase respectability! See what it gets you!"_

"_Stop it!" wailed Palla-Palla. Everyone turned to her and found the girl crying. "Stop fighting! Palla-Palla doesn't want anyone to leave! Until her Mommy comes to pick her up, you're all the only family Palla-Palla has left! Palla-Palla doesn't want everyone to leave and go away! Please!"_

_Ves knelt down and put her arm around Palla-Palla. The girl clung to Ves and continued to cry. Jun looked to Cere._

"_OK," Cere said. "I guess you're all the only family I've got left, too. The only family I can depend on anyway. Promise I won't leave, Palla-Palla." She glanced at Ves. "But we're not going to survive by scamming floating poker games. That's no life for any of us, especially Palla-Palla."_

"_All right," grunted Ves. "It was just an idea."_

"_Fine, that's settled," Jun interjected. "So what are we going to do?"_

_Nobody spoke up immediately. And then it was too late. Palla-Palla suddenly looked up. She seemed to stare at something and a rapture slowly formed on her face. Cere and the others turned and looked to see what she saw. _

_At first there was nothing to see but the Amazon jungle. Cere was about to turn back and_ _question Palla-Palla. But then she noticed a pin prick of light forming. The light seemed silver in color. It seemed to be growing and Cere thought she was imagining it. Then she knew she wasn't. Something was growing, and as it grew, it seemed to get brighter. Ves stepped protectively in front of Palla-Palla, while Cere and Jun edged away from the phenomenon and closer to their shack. It might not be much protection, but right now it was all they had._

_The silver light flared brightly and then dissipated. And before them was a vision. She was a woman of delicate skin and features with spun gold hair and a white strapless gown, the bow in the back tied to resemble the wings of a fairy. She had the widest, brightest, bluest eyes any of them had ever seen and a smile warm with love and charity. Cere stared. She couldn't believe it. Was it possible?_

"_S-Sailor Moon?" Cere asked._

_The woman's mouth curled up at a private amusement._

"_Cere-Cere, Jun-Jun, Ves-Ves, Palla-Palla," Queen Serenity said to them. "I have an offer for you. And I hope you say 'yes'."_

Continued in Chapter 2


	2. The Would-Be Sailor Moon

THEN AND NOW  
Chapter 2: "The Would-Be Sailor Moon"  
A Neo-Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

* * *

_Three years earlier: The woman was in her middle twenties, ordinary, unremarkable, undistinguished from the other citizens of Crystal Tokyo. She had been walking the Promenade with her two children, a boy of five and a girl of three. It had been an ordinary day. Nothing unusual. They had been browsing a shop that sold antiques and curios, the children impatient in their boredom with Japanese history. There was no warning of any kind of trouble._

_Then she unexpectedly grabbed a pair of jade kanzashi ornaments and put the sharp ends to her throat, the points pressing into her flesh. Everybody gasped. People screamed. The owner of the shop that sold them made a grab for her arm, but the woman skittered back. Everyone froze when she threatened to plunge the kanzashi rods into her throat. The anxiety of the room rose. Her children sensed this and began crying. _

_And the woman smiled._

_Unknown to her, Makoto Kino and Minako Aino had been in the shop. Minako had dragged Makoto along on one of her frequent shopping trips, mostly for company, and had been browsing. Two henshin sticks appeared and two legendary Crystal Tokyo figures were suddenly in the mix. Sailor Jupiter gathered in the two crying children while Sailor Venus bracketed the woman. But she gestured with the kanzashi and neither senshi came a step further._

"_Shh, it's all right," Jupiter whispered to the children, trying to calm them. "Nobody's going to let your mom get hurt."_

"_No, let them scream!" the woman bellowed defiantly. "They should scream! They're about to witness their mother DIE!"_

"_Hey, no need to get dramatic!" Venus offered, trying to project a non-threatening front while still angling close enough to try to disarm her. "Nobody needs to get hurt here!"_

"_Wrong!" the woman smiled. "There has to be death! Death and chaos! Anguish and fear radiating out from everyone!"_

"_Mama!" screamed the boy._

"_You see?" she giggled. "Can't you taste it? Can't you smell his fear? Can't you just feel everyone's fear? Because when I die, EVERYONE WILL BE NEXT!"_

_Jupiter glanced at Venus. She didn't have a shot at disarming or incapacitating the woman without risking her plunging the kanzashi into her throat. She hoped Venus did. But a thousand years experience fighting side by side gave Venus and Jupiter an intuition into the other one. And Jupiter knew that Venus didn't have a shot either._

"_You don't have a chance to disarm me," the woman warned. "I have the points of these kanzashi pointed directly at the aorta and the ventricular artery. One thrust and I can paint this whole area red!"_

"_OK, OK," Jupiter said, holding up her hand to steady her. "Just tell us what you want. There's no need for all of this."_

"_What do I want?" the woman asked. Then she laughed. Venus saw a moment to move, but before she could focus her Crescent Beam on the kanzashi, the woman sobered and pressed harder with the points of the ornaments. Venus froze, her chance gone._

"_Mama, please!" shrieked the boy as his sister cried. "Whatever I did, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"_

"_Outside! Everybody!" she demanded. Then she smiled wickedly. "I have some redecorating to do." _

_And she began herding everyone outside. Jupiter hung on to the two children, both of them fighting not to be separated from their mother. Venus backed away, herding what few patrons had remained. There seemed to be nothing they could do to avert a tragedy._

_A sound from behind her caused the woman to whirl around. Venus was about to launch her Love Me Chain and snare the woman's arms. But the cause of the sound made her hesitate for a moment._

"_Small Lady?" Jupiter gasped in shock. For charging the woman was the Princess Usagi in a fuku she hadn't worn in nearly four years._

"_Pink Sugar Heart Attack!" the fifteen year old Princess shouted, holding up her Pink Sugar Heart Wand. Low voltage electrical bursts emanated from the wand and struck the woman's right hand, causing her to drop the kanzashi before she could plunge it into her aorta._

_The Princess took aim at the other hand._

_But her adversary was faster. Snatching one of the twin tails of pink hair that dangled from the head of the Princess, she jerked the girl to her and snapped her free arm across the Princess's throat. The kanzashi still in her possession came up to Sailor Moon's throat and pressed dangerously into the soft flesh._

"_No! Please!" shouted someone in the crowd that had gathered in the Promenade. "Not The Princess!"_

"_Oh, this is even better!" cackled the woman madly. "So you were going to play hero, little princess? You were going to save the day just like your mommy always did? Well you can still be of assistance. You can die a bloody death and make all of these people terribly unhappy!"_

"_You harm her," rumbled Jupiter, "and you won't live to see another day."_

"_It's not much of a threat," the woman grinned, "considering I was just about to kill her myself."_

_All the while, Sailor Moon struggled in the insanely strong grip of a woman who was really no bigger than she was. Venus noted that the Princess seemed more mortified at having failed and been taken hostage than at facing the imminent end of her life. And Venus had noted something else._

"_Kill 'her'?" Venus wondered out loud. "Just what are you?"_

_The woman's insane leer changed in an instant into a scowl. She glared at Venus and Venus surmised she'd made a connection she wasn't supposed to make._

"_You're a little too inquisitive," the woman growled. Jupiter's lightning rod extended from her tiara as the woman spoke. "I think your princess is about to pay for that."_

_Suddenly the woman's head whipped back. Her body fell backwards, dragging the Princess backward into the doorway of the shop. The kanzashi clattered to the floor. Venus lurched forward while Jupiter held onto the woman's children. In that second, the fifteen year old Princess pulled free and scrambled to her knees, whirling around in case the woman made another attempt on her. But Venus and the Princess could both see she wouldn't._

_A red rose was sticking out of her forehead._

_Jupiter turned in time to see King Endymion brush past her. He went directly up to the Princess, seized her by her upper arms and pulled her effortlessly to her feet._

"_Are you all right?" the King asked, his voice smothered with parental concern. His daughter's expression was one of immense gratitude. But within moments it had sobered._

"_Yeah," she choked out, then dropped her gaze in mortification. "Sorry I let her get the drop on me."_

"_We'll talk about it later," Endymion replied. "Sailor Venus, when CDP get here, tell them to place this woman in medical quarantine and to have a full psychological diagnostic run on her. And let Ami know. I want her to consult on this."_

"_Roger and out," Venus sighed as she engaged her communicator._

_As Venus supervised clean up of the situation and Jupiter continued to try to ease the fears of the two children, King Endymion escorted the would-be Sailor Moon away from the situation._

* * *

The air car bearing the wounded Sailor Ceres and her Asteroid teammates had no sooner landed on the aeropad atop the Palace of Crystal Tokyo then an anti-gravity litter accompanied by palace medical personnel approached. Working quickly, Sailor Pallas telekinetically lifted Ceres onto the litter while Sailor Saturn kept constant contact to keep Ceres alive with her healing aura. Immediately Ami Mizuno engaged the litter's holographic vital signs array, as well as its portable ultrasound and magnetic imaging sensors.

"Prepare Operating Room One for immediate surgery!" Ami barked. "Have a cardiac array prepped and summon Dr. Takashima! He's going to assist me!"

The medical personnel obeyed instantly and swept the litter off the aeropad and into the palace itself. Pallas and Vesta went running after them. Juno moved to follow, but stopped and looked at Saturn. Saturn was braced against the hull of the air car.

"Hey, you don't look so good," Juno remarked.

"Just tired," Saturn exhaled. She held her hand to her head and continued to use the air car for support. Ducking under Saturn's extended arm, Juno came up and braced her shoulder against Saturn while bringing her left arm against Saturn's lower back and waist.

"Come on," Juno told her gently. "Let's find you someplace quiet where you can catch your breath."

"I," Saturn began to argue. But the slight senshi couldn't muster the energy. "All right. Thank you."

"No," Juno countered, her voice choking with emotion, "thank you for what you did for Ceres."

As the litter neared the operating theater in the palace infirmary, Ami glanced up from her patient to see Minako and Makoto hurrying toward her. The two parties met half way.

"What can we do?" Makoto asked.

"Keep Serenity away," Ami replied as they hurried toward the operating theater. "The moment she hears of this, she'll want to heal Ceres and it's too potentially dangerous for her."

"We're on it," Minako nodded.

"So how bad is it?" Makoto asked.

Ami didn't answer. She and her team pushed into the infirmary. Minako and Makoto stopped at the entrance.

"Must be bad," Makoto whispered. At once Vesta and Pallas whisked past them and into the infirmary. "Got any idea where Serenity is?"

"I think she's with Endymion - - in his office," Minako replied. "She and Endymion were in conference with the Chinese ministers."

The two elders headed off, Makoto casting a last worried glance back at the entrance to the infirmary.

* * *

_Three years ago._

"_Well, she was probably in the area and she wanted to help," Queen Serenity offered up. She and Endymion were leisurely walking down a corridor of the palace to their daughter's room. "It's very noble of her to want to help people in distress. We should be proud to have a daughter with that much concern for others."_

"_I'm not questioning her motive to want to help others," Endymion explained. "But you can't just rush in blindly and expect your good intentions to protect you from harm."_

"_I did it," Serenity shrugged._

"_And how many times did I have to save you?" Endymion asked. Serenity stuck her tongue out at him._

_Arriving at the door to their daughter's room, the Royal Couple waited for the environmental control computer to acknowledge their presence and notify the room's occupant. The familiar electronic chirp told them the process had initiated._

"_She's not hooooooooommmmmeee," replied the computer's voice simulation. "Leave a message if you wanna."_

_Endymion sighed. "She's been reprogramming the environmental computer again." His wife giggled. "What?"_

"_Oh, just enjoying your frustration," Serenity chuckled. "It's reassuring to know I'm not the only one she chooses to aggravate."_

"_Computer, location of Princess Usagi," Endymion said._

"_She's in the Palace gymnasium, if you must know," the computer sighed, sounding more like a teenager than a machine. Serenity and Endymion looked at each other, puzzled._

_The Royal Couple entered the gymnasium just in time to see their beloved daughter spin three-quarters of a turn in the air and land loudly on a mat on her back, courtesy of Makoto. The Princess lay on the mat for a moment as Serenity's hands flew to her mouth._

"_Ow," she groaned, one eye closed and her teeth clenched._

"_I told you, Hon'," Makoto advised her, "you have to roll with it. And don't clench your body anticipating the impact. Loose and limber dissipates the force of the impact, then you roll to a crouch anticipating further attack." Noticing the King and Queen were in the room, Makoto straightened up quickly. "Oh, uh, hi!"_

"_Honey, what are you doing?" gasped Serenity. She flew to her daughter's side and protectively wrapped her arms around the girl._

"_Learning to defend myself!" the Princess replied, trying in vain to wriggle out of her mother's over-protective bear hug._

"_Why in the name of the gods would you want to do that?" Serenity argued._

"_Because if I'm going to be Sailor Moon, I can't be a liability in a confrontation!" her daughter shot back. "Obviously Pink Sugar Heart Attack isn't going to cut it. And I can't depend on Pop saving me every time I get into trouble."_

"_You could always stay here where it's safe," muttered Serenity. "And who said you_ _were going to be Sailor Moon anyway?"_

"_Gods, Mom, why don't you just have me encased in polymer!" fumed the girl._

"_Actually," Endymion interceded, "it's not a bad idea for her to learn some self-defense moves - - whether she ultimately decides to become Sailor Moon or not. That little incident in the Promenade should be an indication that the unexpected can still happen, even in Crystal Tokyo and even in this day and age."_

"_Yeah, Hon', it's a handy thing to know," Makoto added. "Remember when I tried to teach you?"_

"_Remember? I still have the bruises!" pouted the Queen. Makoto grinned. "Small Lady, Sailor Moon isn't a destiny you have to fulfill. You have enough destiny to prepare for being the future ruler of this country."_

"_But I WANT to do it! The world needs Sailor Moon!" the teen countered. "And from now on, please don't call me by that name. Small Lady is a child's name. I want to be called 'Usa'."_

"'_Usa'?" frowned Serenity. "You're kidding?"_

"_There's nothing wrong with it!" protested Usa. "It's more mature and at the same time more friendly and approachable. 'Princess' puts people at a distance. I don't want people to have the fact that I'm royalty rubbed in their faces."_

"_But it sounds like somebody grunting," Serenity fussed._

"_Honestly, do I have any control over ANY aspect of my own life at all?" howled the teen._

"_ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT!" Serenity exclaimed, throwing up her hands in surrender. "Be 'Usa' if it's that important to you! Honestly, next she'll be wanting to dress up in pressure pants and pilot a crystal freighter!"_

_As Serenity stalked out of the gym, Endymion eased up to his daughter. She glanced up at him with strained tolerance._

"_As I said, I think this is a very good idea," he told her in a calm, rational voice. "Study hard, do everything Makoto tells you and learn as much as you can."_

"_Thanks, Pop," Usa nodded._

"_And UNTIL you've learned how to defend yourself," Endymion added, "I don't want you going out as Sailor Moon again."_

_With the finality of someone expecting to be obeyed, Endymion headed for the door, leaving his fifteen year old daughter to burn with frustration._

_In the infirmary, Minako approached Ami and Rei. They were both observing the young mother who had threatened both herself and Usa in the antique shop on the Promenade. Ami was concentrating on the holographic readouts from the patient. Rei was concentrating on the woman herself. Minako glanced at the woman as she neared her friends. The woman was unconscious and held to the sensory bunk by a magnetic stasis field._

"_So?" Minako asked Rei directly._

"_You were right to call me," Rei replied. "The trace signs are unmistakable. This woman was possessed by a demonic spirit."_

"_I concur," Ami added. "There is no scientific indication of any physical trauma or abnormality which would account for her behavior. And preliminary psychological tests show no indication toward any mental illness. With organic factors ruled out, and no evidence of neurological corruption from cybernetic sources, that only leaves supernatural forces as a possible explanation."_

"_That's what I was thinking, too. I figured someone or something was controlling her," Minako explained. "During the battle, she let it slip that there was a second party involved. Or rather, whatever was controlling her let it slip. Got any idea what we're up against?"_

"_There are several possibilities," Rei responded. "It could be she came into contact with an object that had a demonic spirit sealed inside of it and her mind was a receptive enough host to allow the demon to break the seal. There's the possibility that she was being controlled by a Kitsune-Mochi using Kitsunetsuki on her. Or it could be a puppet master demon. Maybe some yurei haunting either her home or the shop. I'll keep digging."_

"_Good. So will I," Minako nodded. "I doubt anybody wants something like this to happen again."_

Continued in Chapter 3


	3. A Chance At Redemption

THEN AND NOW  
Chapter 3: "A Chance At Redemption"  
A Neo-Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

* * *

In a waiting room adjacent to the operating theater in the Crystal Palace infirmary, Ves and Jun watched on a closed circuit monitor as Ami Mizuno and her surgical staff operated on Cere. Palla-Palla sat off in a corner, facing the wall, her knees pulled up to her chin. The others said nothing, knowing Palla-Palla's aversion to blood. Besides, Palla-Palla had her ways and they'd learned long ago not to question them. With them, watching the holographic vital signs for news that the others wouldn't understand, was Hotaru Tomoe.

"This is just like Rudolfo," Ves whispered suddenly.

"Hotaru?" Jun asked, because she didn't want to agree with Ves without confirmation. "How is she?"

"Still alive," Hotaru replied. "Her blood pressure and respiration are reasonably good. And Dr. Mizuno and Dr. Takashima are very good at what they do."

"So why is it taking so long?" snapped Ves.

"The knife punctured the lung and came close enough to the heart to slice open the pericardium," Hotaru explained. "Dr. Mizuno has to use bio-electric cellular stimulation to repair the cardiopulmonary damage so her heart doesn't begin to bleed. That takes time."

"I didn't understand a word you just said," Ves grumbled impotently, "except it takes time."

"Miss Hotaru-Ma'am," Palla-Palla squeaked from the corner. "Is Cere-Cere going to die?"

"Don't expect the worst," Hotaru assured her. "Everything has gone very well so far. And Dr. Mizuno is the best. You know that."

"Palla-Palla doesn't want Cere-Cere to die."

"She's not going to die," they heard Usa say. Turning, everyone saw Usa stride in. The Princess went straight to the computer panel and pulled up the record of the current operation. She swallowed. "Man, she came close, though. Don't worry, Palla-Palla. We won't let her die."

"What the Hell was with that cop anyway?" rumbled Ves. "Why did she stab Cere? Cere didn't do anything to her! She was helping!"

"It wasn't the officer's fault, Ves," Usa told her. "Aunt Rei says everyone in the Promenade incident was controlled by a puppet master demon. Palla-Palla was right when she said she heard two sets of thoughts."

"Puppet master?" Jun asked. "Like what happened when we first started?"

"Yeah," Usa nodded as she looked at the monitor broadcasting the operation.

"I thought Hino-sama dealt with that back then."

"It may be another one," Usa replied, then turned to the others. "A bigger one - - more powerful. Aunt Rei said she's never heard of a puppet master demon controlling more than one person. But everyone slashing people on the Promenade was possessed by this demon. And as we dealt with the original attackers, the demon grabbed control of the CDP officer."

"Does she have any idea what happened to it? Is it going to be back?"

"Don't know yet. Aunt Rei is trying to track it down."

"If that demon could possess a CDP officer," Hotaru wondered, "what if it tried to take possession of-of one of us?"

Usa was silent for a moment. "Aunt Rei said that puppet master demons usually attack people who are in emotional turmoil. People in relatively calm states, without a lot of fear or doubt, don't have anything to worry about."

"But, say, people who are worried about someone they love dying," Jun suggested. "They might just be vulnerable?"

* * *

_Three years ago: The four former members of the Amazoness Quartet sat at a conference table in a conference room in the Palace of Crystal Tokyo. Sitting opposite them, at a different table across the room, were the four inner senshi, in their civilian forms. The teens were understandably anxious. Ves, of course, bluffed an exterior of gruff indifference. Jun tried to do the same, but for some reason she no longer had the heart for her previous delinquent side. Cere tried to maintain an air of calm, but felt herself failing. Palla-Palla was, as usual, mystified. Then Minako got up._

_"OK, ladies," Minako began, pacing back and forth before them with her hands behind her, affecting her best authoritarian manner. "This is how it goes. I am Minako. This is Ami, Rei and Makoto. We are in charge of you. That means you will address me as Sensei Aino-sama. You will address her as Sensei Mizuno-sama, her as Sensei Hino-sama, and her as Sensei Kino-sama. Is that understood?"_

_Cere and Jun nodded. Palla-Palla just stared. Ves just glared._

_"I didn't quite catch that!" Minako growled._

_"Yes, Sensei Aino-sama," Cere and Jun replied. Ves continued to glare._

_"Yes, Miss Minako-ma'am," Palla-Palla said. "Palla-Palla understands."_

_"Apparently you don't," Minako said with a cocked eyebrow._

_"You have to excuse her, Sensei Aino-sama," Cere offered. "Palla-Palla is, um, mentally disabled. That's probably the closest she can come. She didn't mean any disrespect."_

_"Minako," sighed Ami, "isn't this a bit much?"_

_"Just trying to instill a little discipline," sniffed Minako. _

_"What do you know about discipline?" Rei asked._

_"She was on the receiving end of it for centuries," Makoto chuckled. "She must know something about it from experience alone." Ami giggled._

_Jun leaned over to Cere. "We got beat by these guys?"_

_"You hens through?" Minako asked her teammates. She focused on Ves. "So what about you, tough girl?"_

_"I ain't calling you nothing," grunted Ves._

_"Hey, that's your call," shrugged Minako. "Nobody's making you become a senshi." She paused a beat for dramatic effect. "So how soon can you be packed?"_

_Everyone in the room felt Palla-Palla's anxiety rachet up. Ves knew it without even looking at it. She glared daggers at Minako. For her part, Minako made it clear non-verbally that she saw the effect it was having on the others and wasn't above benefiting from it. That made Ves even more angry._

_"Ves-Ves?" Palla-Palla asked urgently._

_"All right," Ves heaved, then gritted her teeth. "Sensei. Aino. Sama."_

_"We'll work on that reading," Minako replied. "Now, King Endymion is to be referred to as 'Your Majesty' and you will kneel in his presence until he tells you to rise. You will also kneel in the presence of Queen Serenity. But at no time will you ever address her as 'Your Majesty'."_

_"Why not?" Cere asked._

_"Queen Serenity doesn't like it," Palla-Palla said calmly. "She thinks it makes her seem snooty."_

_The room fell silent as the elder senshi stared._

_"How did you know that?" Rei asked._

_"Know what?" Palla-Palla asked innocently. Rei could see she wasn't lying._

_"Um, Palla-Palla can, well, know things she really has no way of knowing," Cere explained. "We think she's always been that way."_

_"Indeed?" Ami responded. She looked directly at Palla-Palla. "With your permission, I'd like to conduct some tests on you." She saw the four grow anxious again. "I assure you they won't be invasive or painful in any way."_

_"I can make it an order," Minako added._

_"No," Ami shot back, "you won't."_

_Minako shrugged. "You will be expected to attend school on a regular basis," Minako continued. "Absences will be penalized. You will also be expected to attend combat training. Absences will be penalized. You will live in the palace. Your comings and goings will be restricted until we decide that you're no longer a threat to yourselves or others. You will be under a curfew. Violation of restrictions or curfew will be penalized." Minako grinned. "And too many penalties will result in you getting the boot. Remember, this is your second chance to straighten your lives out. Make the most of it."_

_"Why do we got to go to school?" howled Ves. "I never been to school in my life!"_

_"Somehow that doesn't surprise me," Minako replied. "It's because we're not going to have some illiterate street kid being responsible for the life of Princess Usagi." She smiled sweetly. "So study hard."_

_Ves slumped back in her chair and scowled._

_"We'll be giving you all IQ tests to determine at what level you should all start at," Ami added. _

_"And because nobody else could probably handle you," Makoto said, "we'll be doing the teaching. Look, Minako is right. This is a second chance for all of you. We're not trying to bust you. We're trying to help you. Serenity thinks you four have destinies that are better than what you are now. And she's got a pretty good track record when it comes to someone she believes in. So if you have as much faith in yourselves as Serenity has in you, you're all going to do fine."_

_Ves blew out air in disgust. But Rei read that Makoto's words had at least touched the others. It gave her hope that Serenity was right about this project - - and that she herself was wrong._

* * *

Cere opened her eyes. Confused, she looked around the room. After a few moments, she realized that it was one of the rooms in the infirmary. The girl attempted to get up, but there was no strength in her body. Her alarm spiked considerably.

Then she heard the scuff of anti-contamination boots on the floor. Glancing over to the door, Cere saw Ami Mizuno, wearing her standard form-fitting white with red trim sterile suit, which she always wore in the infirmary. The doctor walked over and bent down toward her.

"I'm glad to see you awake," Ami said gently. "You're in the infirmary."

"Yeah," Cere nodded. "Why," and she remembered the confrontation with the mob. "I was stabbed. It hurt so . . . Dr. Mizuno, why can't I move?"

"Your body suffered a very large trauma," Ami told her, placing her hand on Cere's shoulder. "It's still weak from shock and loss of blood." She smiled. "You'll get better."

Cere relaxed a little. "How," she began, "bad was it?"

"I'll be honest," Ami replied soberly. "The knife wound punctured one of your lungs and cut a seventeen centimeter incision in the outer wall of your heart." Cere was clearly horrified. "Fortunately, the wall of the heart wasn't pierced. We inflated the lung and used cellular regeneration to repair the damage to the heart and pericardium."

"How," Cere stammered. "How close was I - - to dying?"

"If the blade had entered four centimeters to the right," Ami told her reluctantly, "it would have pierced the wall of the heart and you would have died within moments."

Cere lay there, staring at nothing in particular.

"Cere, there are counselors on my staff who can help you deal with the emotional impact of a near-death experience," Ami advised her. "Or if you feel more comfortable talking with Rei or myself, or any of the elders, we'll clear time for you. But don't feel you have to deal with this on your own. Just because you're a senshi doesn't mean you don't have human feelings and human fears."

Just then Queen Serenity popped her head in the room.

"Is she all right?" Serenity asked desperately. "I heard she was all right!"

"She's recovering, Serenity," Ami told her. The Queen flew into the room and laid her hand on Cere's arm.

"Thank the gods," Serenity said. "I don't know what any of us would have done if you hadn't gotten better. If there's anything you need, Cere, please let me know. No request is too outlandish!"

"Thanks," Cere said. Just being in the Queen's presence seemed to lift Cere's spirits a little. "Do the others know?"

"They're in the waiting area," Ami informed her. "You can see them whenever you feel up to it."

"I'd kind of like to," Cere responded softly.

Moments later the door opened. Palla-Palla flew in, knelt next to the bed, buried her face against Cere's arm and started crying - - again.

"Please don't ever leave Palla-Palla!" she wailed. "Palla-Palla was so scared!"

"That makes two of us," Cere replied, patting the girl weakly.

"That was too close," Jun said, standing behind and to the left of Palla-Palla.

"Yeah," Cere nodded. She glanced at Ves. Ves was struggling to hide her concern behind a gruff mask and failing.

"Glad you made it," Ves forced out. Cere just smiled and nodded, not wanting to take the chance of provoking her sister unintentionally. Her gaze moved to Hotaru.

"I felt you," Cere said. "In the dark."

"Miss Hotaru-Ma'am kept you from dying until we could get you to Miss Ami-Ma'am," Palla-Palla sobbed.

"Then I owe you," Cere said to Hotaru.

"It comes with being part of the team," Hotaru offered. "You've done your share for me."

"Cere, you take as long as you need. You just get well again," Usa said. "And if there's anything you need - - anything - - you just let me know."

"Yeah," Cere grinned weakly. "That's kind of what your mom said."

Hotaru smirked and glanced at Usa. Usa was blushing slightly.

"And I looked at the sensory images while you were sleeping," Hotaru added. "Everything went very well. You should be up and around and back with the team very soon."

"Yeah," Cere replied unenthusiastically. "Great."

* * *

_Three years ago: Four would-be senshi sat in what was now their quarters. There was a central room big enough for each girl to stake out a section, complete with furnishings and computer station. There were also four bedrooms that each girl could claim as her own. Ves draped herself over a chair and leaned back._

"_Man, this place beats the jungle," Ves sighed. "And our place in the Dead Moon Circus. Hell, it beats anyplace I've ever lived!"_

"_Palla-Palla is going to get some pretty dollies!" Palla-Palla declared. "Enough pretty dollies to cover her whole bedroom!"_

"_This gig might not be too bad," Jun mused. Then she glanced at Cere. "So what's got you bugged. I would have thought out of all of us that you'd take to this kind of luxury the most."_

"_Sensei Aino-sama mentioned combat training," Cere recalled uneasily. "Are we going to be expected to - - fight?"_

"_That's kind of what senshi do," Jun replied. "If I remember correctly, 'senshi' is the Japanese word for 'soldier'."_

"_Yeah, it's like what those elders did for Sailor Moon," Ves added._

"_So we might have to kill?" Cere continued. "A-And we could die?"_

"_That's what soldiers do," Ves told her. "If it comes down to a matter of surviving, you can do just about anything. Hey, there's nothing to it."_

"_For you, maybe! You've lived your whole life with one foot in the gutter! Some of us were civilized!"_

"_Yeah? Put them in the right circumstances and even 'civilized' people turn into gutter animals like me," Ves snarled._

"_Oh, THAT'S something to look forward to!" Cere scowled._

"_Cere," Jun said. "Do you want to go back to the orphanage?"_

_Cere sighed dramatically. "No," she huffed. "But I'm not sure I want to do this, either! Besides, how are we supposed to do it? Zirconia stole our powers!"_

"_I don't know," Jun shrugged. "Maybe that's what the combat training is for. Queen Serenity and her senshi seem to have a plan. Maybe we just need to trust them."_

"_That'll really get you killed," Ves maintained. "What we have to do is lay low, enjoy this life while we can, and be ready to bolt at the first sign it's going south."_

"_Palla-Palla likes it here," Palla-Palla declared. "Palla-Palla thinks the four Ma'ams are nice people, even though they still think we might be bad. And Palla-Palla likes Queen Serenity-Ma'am. She's very pretty and she makes Palla-Palla smile."_

"_You met her once, in the Amazon jungle," Cere countered cynically. "I'm amazed you even remember."_

"_Palla-Palla doesn't have to remember," Palla-Palla replied. "Palla-Palla can feel her. Can't you feel her?"_

_The others looked curiously at each other._

"_Palla-Palla wishes Queen Serenity would be her new mommy," Palla-Palla sighed. Then she got to her feet. "Palla-Palla is going to go beddie-bye now." She walked over and pecked Ves on the cheek. "Beddie-Bye-Bye!"_

"_Get off with that stuff, Stupid!" Ves scowled, waving her arm dismissively. The blue haired girl smirked and then scampered into her room. "I wonder what kind of streams they got on this computer station."_

_As Ves slid her chair over to the computer, Jun got up and walked over to Cere. She put her hand on the girl's shoulder._

"_Get some sleep," she told Cere. "Who knows. Maybe learning how to defend yourself will end up being a good thing."_

_Jun wandered into her bedroom. Cere, though, just sat and wondered about the path she was about to embark on._

Continued in Chapter 4


	4. The Reluctant Warrior

THEN AND NOW  
Chapter 4: "The Reluctant Warrior"  
A Neo-Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

* * *

Rei Hino walked down the palace corridor to the shrine set up inside the palace. It was a place of worship, a place central to the priest to communicating with the gods of the world - - and it was a sanctuary for her when the hypocrisy and pettiness of the world got to be too much for her. For even in Serenity's better world, there was still hypocrisy and pettiness.

At the moment, she had to consult one of the ancient texts she had accumulated over the centuries on demons and demonology. Puppet master demons were rare, but all of the ones she'd known were never able to control this many people at once. And they were never able to completely disappear from her senses once their spell over humans had been broken. These two facts disturbed her. They didn't bode well for the future. And there was also a gnawing fear in the back of her mind that she had missed something three years ago and her mistake was coming back to haunt her and the rest of Crystal Tokyo.

What she didn't expect to find in the shrine was her favorite person in the whole world.

"Any luck, Aunt Rei?" Usa asked. Rei didn't need her sight to see that the teen had been waiting for her and waiting a while.

"None," Rei admitted. "I can't find a trace of this thing, other than the residual energy it used to control all of those people."

"You think it could attack again?"

"I'm almost certain of it. Puppet master demons usually try to sow fear and chaos. They feed off of the fear, and the chaos throws other people into emotional turmoil and allows the demon to gain access to other minds. Since we weren't able to deal with this one, it will be back for more. Where and when are the big unknowns." Rei sat at a table and programmed a food dispenser - - one of her reluctant concessions to modern life - - for tea. "So how is Cere doing? I only just got back."

"Aunt Ami got her through it OK." The girl grinned fleetingly. "No big shock there. Aunt Ami's the greatest."

"And?" Rei prodded.

"Cere is really messed up by this," Usa confessed. "This was even closer than what happened in Sao Paulo. She almost died. And it really scared her. Scared her bad. Like she might quit. And I . . ." The girl paused. She seemed reluctant to go on. "Never mind. What do we . . .?"

"You don't know what to do to snap Cere out of this depression," Rei said. Usa's jaw clenched. She looked down reflexively. "Muffin, this is something Cere has to work out for herself. We all cope with things in our own way. I'm not saying ignore her. But don't press her. Risking your life is tough for all of us. If it becomes too tough for some, we can let them walk away and still be their friends."

"Should have known I couldn't hide anything from you, Aunt Rei," Usa mumbled. "I hear what you say. But I don't want to lose Cere from the team, either."

"Well, she was never very gung ho about being a senshi," Rei mused. "I've always known that and you should have."

"I did. I just hoped I was wrong."

Rei closed her hand over Usa's. "Muffin, this isn't a reflection on you or your leadership skills. Not everyone is cut out to be a senshi. And not everyone has the courage to face death on a recurring basis. Grandpa once told me that courage was the ability to risk something precious to you in order to accomplish a greater good. If Cere can no longer accept that risk, it doesn't mean you failed. And it doesn't mean she's a coward. And it also doesn't mean she isn't your friend anymore."

"I know that," Usa nodded. "Cere will always be my friend."

* * *

"_THEM?"_

_The walls of the Royal Receiving Room vibrated for a few moments. Queen Serenity grimaced in the face of the withering glare of her fifteen year old daughter, the Princess Usagi Small Lady Chiba._

"_Small Lady," King Endymion sighed with just a little frustration, "don't yell at your mother."_

"_Pop, I have ASKED you all to call me 'Usa'!" the Princess fumed. "I am fifteen now! I am NOT SMALL!"_

"_Not much of a lady, either," Minako murmured under her breath. She got a hip shove from Makoto for her comment._

_The Princess Usagi, or Usa as she had begun insisting to be referred to, stood before her parents. Ringing the room were the elder senshi, in their civilian forms, as well as Serenity's most trusted advisors, Luna and Artemis. Diana, now grown into a sleek gray cat, was to Usa's left and looked quite upset. Near the door, flanked on either side by the elders, were the former Amazoness Quartet, who Queen Serenity had just introduced as her daughter's new senshi. Jun was wishing she was anywhere but here and Ves looked like she was two seconds away from attacking her new Princess. Palla-Palla, naturally, was blissfully happy and seemed in a world of her own. Cere, though, seemed harder to read._

"_Very well - - Usa," Endymion replied in measured tones. "Your mother and I realize that your memories of these four aren't pleasant ones . . ."_

"_They tried to kill the man I love!" raged Usa. "Why would you possibly think that would be an unpleasant memory for me? And while we're at it, let's recall how many innocent people they hurt! And how they were working for a woman who was going to plunge not only this world into unending night, but Elysian as well! Not to mention how they helped Nehelenia almost kill you, almost kill me . . .!"_

"_Point - - taken," Endymion interjected._

"_Usa," Serenity began, gently, almost timidly in the face of her daughter's genuine hurt and rage, "one of the best ways to combat evil is to find a way to take those who do evil and give them a means of using the energy they expend for constructive purposes. That way, they have a creative outlet for their energies and ideas and can benefit society rather than harm it. Now you're just starting your career as Sailor Moon. If you can manage to take four girls who were once bitter enemies under your care and show them the right way to affect change and help people, it would be a gigantic accomplishment for you and a great advantage for society in general."_

"_Not - - them!" Usa replied, her voice quivering with rage._

"_Um, Your, um, Majesty?" Cere spoke up._

"_I much prefer Serenity," Serenity gently cautioned her._

"_Uh, OK," Cere stammered. "Look, maybe we should just go back to Brasilia. Maybe this was a bad idea."_

"_The Hell it was," grunted Ves. "This could be a really good gig for us. Why should we be run off by some stuck up . . .?"_

"_Ves!" Cere hissed. "Please forgive her."_

"_Not in a million years," Usa muttered through clenched teeth._

"_Usa," scowled Serenity. "If you're going to be Sailor Moon, you'll need senshi. And they're very qualified. They understand danger and risk, they're very athletic and very decisive in battle. We've all seen that. And they just want a second chance, Honey. A chance to prove that they're not evil, that they're not beyond redemption. And the true mission of Sailor Moon isn't just to protect those who need protecting. It's also to provide a chance for those people who want to prove that they're capable of helping others and enriching their lives. If you're going to be Sailor Moon, you have to understand that."_

_Usa just stood there, her emotions boiling just under the surface. Everyone watched her. For a moment it seemed like she was about to burst into tears. Another moment and it seemed like she was about to explode in an orgy of violence. Her mouth pulled thin and her eyes clamped shut. Her hands clenched into fists and shook by her sides._

"_Fine," she huffed angrily. "You win again. But I WILL NOT LIKE IT! And I WILL NEVER TRUST THEM! And when this BLOWS UP IN EVERYBODY'S FACE, like I know it will, you just remember whose grand idea this was and who told you it was going to flop!" And the Princess whirled and stalked toward the door, Diana scampering after her. "But you won't!"_

_The door hissed shut behind her. Serenity closed her eyes and put her hand to her temple. The elders all looked uneasily at each other. Ves fumed silently._

"_I think I preferred the jungle," Jun muttered._

* * *

Ves searched through the rows of flowers and trees in the Queen's Garden on the grounds outside of the Crystal Palace. She had gone looking for Cere, but the attendants at the Infirmary had told her the patient was well enough to be out of her room for short periods. Naturally her first thought was to find the nearest vid-phone because Cere would be there talking to her boyfriend, "the great artist". When that lead failed, Ves next thought to look in the garden.

She found Cere there, sitting on a bench amid the flowers in her infirmary gown. Her eyes were closed and she seemed at peace - - more at peace than Ves remembered her being since the attack. It was like the flowers were singing to her, serenading her with their chorus of admiration and affection.

Of course, that was stupid.

"You OK?" Ves asked. Cere seemed to come back to reality. She kind of seemed disappointed, but Ves attributed that to her own presence rather than any sentience flowers might have.

"Feeling a little stronger," Cere murmured. "It let me get out of that drab, stifling little room in the Infirmary." She looked up at Ves. "You talked to Palla-Palla, I suppose."

"News like that, it's hard to shut her up," Ves replied. "You actually thinking of quitting?"

Cere looked down and took a shuddering breath. "I almost died, Ves. And this soon after what happened to us in Sao Paulo. . ."

"Yeah? And?"

"I figured you wouldn't understand."

"I understand," bristled Ves. "Marcelino Acosta came this close to killing me in Brasilia a couple of times."

Cere looked up to her. "Then why aren't you scared?"

"Every day's been a fight to survive for me," Ves told her. "You don't look back on something that almost got you. You keep going. Dwell on what already happened, the next thing that's out to get you will have a clean shot." Ves thought a moment, struggling to find the proper words. "You got to live every day like it might be your last - - 'cause one day it will be."

Cere shook her head. "Well I can't do that."

"Sure you can."

"No, Ves. I can't. Because I've got too much to live for. I'm young. I'm beautiful. I'm popular. I'm seeing a wonderful man. Do you know he wants me to move in with him? The minute he heard about what happened, he asked me to move in with him," and Cere dropped her gaze, looking around anxiously, "and away from all this."

"You gonna?" Ves asked suspiciously.

"I ought to," Cere answered. "I don't want to leave you guys. You three filled an important void in my life. And I don't want to let down Hotaru or Usa. But I don't want to die and being a senshi means risking dying every time we go on a mission."

"Yeah and an air car could fall on you, too," Ves grunted.

"There's nothing wrong with living a nice, quiet, peaceful life tending a floral shop and being with the man I love," Cere argued. "Maybe you'd find that boring, but I wouldn't."

"You know what it sounds like to me?" Ves said. "It sounds to me like you're running. Well running never got anyone anything except attacked from behind."

"And you know what it sounds like to me?" Cere locked eyes with her. "Some people know enough not to pick up a hot coal after it's burned them. And some people just keep burning themselves."

A nurse appeared near them and interrupted the conversation.

"Please forgive me," she bowed. "Dr. Mizuno says you need to get back inside before you overtax yourself."

"Coming," Cere said. She rose from the bench and gingerly walked toward the palace, the nurse hovering by her.

"Cere," Ves said. Cere turned to her. "Quitting would be the biggest mistake you ever made."

"No, the biggest mistake I ever made was following you into the jungle," Cere chuckled. "But a lot of good came out of that mistake. And a lot of good could come out of this one."

* * *

"_Well that went well," Minako said three years prior. She was still in the Royal Receiving Room with the others. The four former Amazons had been dismissed and Serenity had left to try to talk to her daughter. _

"_I don't know why we're surprised," Rei replied. "After what happened, after everything she and we went through at the hands of the Amazoness Quartet, of course she isn't going to trust them. I wouldn't trust them either if it wasn't for the fact that I can read that they're sincere about changing." Rei thought a moment. "Well, most of them anyway."_

"_Ves-Ves will come around," Makoto assured her. "I recognize her type. Life has dealt her a bad hand and she's got a king-size chip on her shoulder. But you're right about the way the kid took it. Honestly I don't know what Serenity was thinking when she came up with this whole scheme."_

"_She was thinking of saving four lives," Endymion said. "Four lives that, without this opportunity, might have fallen back into old habits or easy answers. That's how you change a world: A few people at a time."_

"_That's a noble goal, Endymion," Ami countered. "But she should have anticipated the ill-will Small Lady would have had for these girls. And I also question making them her senshi. The role of senshi is both guardian and friend. It's going to be very difficult for each side to overcome what has happened in the past. And it will be equally difficult to fight by her side if she does become Sailor Moon, and defend her as well without any supernormal abilities or attacks. What they told us is true: Zirconia repossessed their Dead Moon Circus powers."_

"_They're not adapting to the training you're providing?" Endymion asked._

"_Well, Ves is a natural scrapper," Makoto surmised. "She could hold her own with anybody before, and once she gets a little martial arts training under her belt she'll be all right. And Jun-Jun is learning it well enough. But Palla-Palla is a hopeless case. She can't even understand the training, let alone perform it adequately."_

"_And Cere-Cere's heart really isn't in it," Rei added. "She wants to stay with the others, so she does it. But she doesn't like it, she's not very good at it and she doesn't have much motivation to improve. If it weren't for the other three, I think she would have already left."_

"_Yeah, I got that impression, too," Minako agreed. "But even if we managed to turn them into four lean, mean fighting machines, that's not going to be enough if some of the things we all fought come back. And the kid isn't going to be much better if all she can muster is Pink Sugar Heart Attack and those fancy moves Makoto is teaching her."_

"_Small," Endymion started, "I mean 'Usa' will be more equipped to take on the burden of Sailor Moon when she matures."_

"_You're certain?" Ami queried._

"_Let's say I feel confident in it," Endymion replied. Then he sighed. "The problem is she's so stubborn and so desperate to prove herself and so anxious to grow up that she's going to rush the process and risk getting hurt. That's another reason Serenity and I wanted her to have senshi. She needs someone her own age who can be her friend now that Momohara has returned to the twentieth century and she's separated from Hotaru. But just as importantly she needs someone who can be there to protect her until she can develop."_

"_Perfectly logical reasoning," Ami nodded. "I just question your choice of potential senshi."_

_Endymion sighed and went introspective for a few moments. Makoto and Minako exchanged glances._

"_I'm not ready to give up yet," he stated. "Bringing peace to the world has never been an easy task. Serenity and I have met with resistance and untenable circumstances more than once. Pushing on until the goal was accomplished was always the best way to go. That's what we'll do here. Besides, Serenity thinks they'll work out and I've learned to trust her instincts in matters like this. You continue working with the girls. Do what you can for them. Be their teachers, their friends, their parents and their role models. Serenity and I can - - hopefully - - get through to Usa and get her to accept this plan." He shook his head. "I am never going to get used to calling her 'Usa'."_

"_OK, Endymion," Makoto said skeptically. "We'll keep on them. Maybe you're right_. _Maybe it just takes perseverance."_

"_After I test Palla-Palla for her PKE potential, I might be able to find a means for her to use it in lieu of, well, more physical means," Ami offered._

"_Pity they don't have their powers anymore," Minako mused. "This would be a lot easier if they still had their powers."_

"_But they'd also be a lot more dangerous and harder to control," Rei cautioned. "It's probably better they don't."_

_After the four elder senshi left, Luna jumped up on the arm of the King's chair. _

"_Your Majesty," the cat began, leaning in. "What Minako said was true. These girls would be better able to serve and protect the Princess if they had some of their old abilities."_

"_Do you know of a way to accomplish that?" Endymion asked. Artemis looked on from the floor, wondering what his wife was hinting at._

"_I believe I do," the black cat replied._

Continued in Chapter 5


	5. Failure

THEN AND NOW  
Chapter 5: "Failure"  
A Neo-Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

* * *

_Three years ago: Diana watched Usa throw herself onto her bed and clutch a pillow to her chest. The cat wanted to say something to assuage the boiling anger the teen felt, but didn't know precisely what to say. _

_In a way, she sympathized with Usa's attitude. What was the Queen thinking by trying to make those four girls Usa's senshi? Didn't she remember what had happened back in the twentieth century? Admittedly it was fresher in her mind than it might be for the Queen, due to her traveling back to the twentieth century. Yes, that had to be why she did it. _

_But on the other hand, maybe the Queen was just being her usual charitable self. Diana had once asked her mother about the Queen's almost obsessive need to believe the best of everyone. In return, she got a long-winded speech from Luna about how the Queen was acting for the betterment of the world, blah blah. Maybe that was it. Maybe the Queen saw something that they, as mortal beings, didn't see._

"_My Lady," Diana began, the adult cat's throaty purr of a voice breaking the silence of the room. But she had no time to get anything else out. The door to Usa's bedroom hissed open and Queen Serenity entered._

"_Well thank you for respecting my desire for privacy," Usa said bitterly. Diana immediately noticed the rage in her voice. She feared this was going to erupt into another shouting match between mother and daughter. It seemed to happen more and more._

"_I'm sorry," Serenity offered. She glided over and sat down on the foot of her daughter's bed. "I'd also like to apologize for not taking your feelings into account when I decided to make those girls your senshi. Obviously I underestimated just how deeply their actions had hurt you."_

"_It's not the first time you've underestimated me," Usa replied._

"_But if you could just get past what they did and look at them objectively, you'll see their potential," Serenity maintained. "Nehelenia saw it. That's why she recruited them. You and I both fought against them, so we both know how strong and resourceful they are. They were just corrupted by Nehelenia. She told them what they wanted to hear and used their youthful naivete to turn them to evil." She swallowed. "Doesn't that sound familiar?"_

"_Yeah, throw that in my face," Usa scowled._

"_You made a mistake," Serenity assured her, "just like they did. And you're living with that mistake and trying to grow so that you don't make it again. Give them the chance to do the same. Honey, we all make mistakes. I know I've made more than my share. But our ability to get past those mistakes and achieve our potential lies in the capacity of other people to forgive the mistakes we make. And our ability to forgive our own. Give them the chance. Who knows, you might even come to like them."_

"_I'll choose my own friends, thank you," Usa grumbled._

"_OK. You don't have to like them. But at least give them a chance to prove that they can be an asset to you. You will need help, as Sailor Moon, and eventually as Queen. You can't do it all by yourself."_

"_I already said I would," Usa fumed. "But I'm not backing down from my prediction. This is going to be a colossal failure. I just hope nobody gets hurt."_

"_I do, too," Serenity nodded. "And if it does go as you say it will, I hope you'll be able to find it in your heart to forgive me. I hope we'll see you for dinner."_

_The Queen got up and glided out. Diana looked at Usa, unsure about what to do. Then she sprang up onto the bed and padded over._

"_Perhaps you could give them a chance," Diana suggested. "If only to give them the means to expose themselves for what they really are."_

"_Yeah, I guess you're right, Diana," Usa whispered. "What was the old saying: 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer'?"_

_Popping up suddenly, Usa bounced off the bed and sat down at her computer station. Diana craned her neck to see what she was doing._

"_What are you looking for?" Diana asked._

"_I want to review those self-defense moves Aunt Makoto taught me," Usa answered. "I get the feeling I'm going to need them."_

* * *

_Three of the four prospective senshi were gathered in the gym for their latest combat lesson. Palla-Palla watched from the sidelines, when her attention wasn't distracted by a movement of light or an odd sound. The rest seemed reluctant to be there. Ves was inattentive and Cere was trying to hide her disdain. Only Jun was really listening. Minako noticed immediately._

"_Some place else you want to be, Cere-Cere?" Minako said suddenly. Cere jumped. Then she gathered her courage._

"_Yes," she responded. "But those aren't the terms of our probation, is it?"_

"_Honest," nodded Minako. "I like it. But you're auditioning to be the soldiers and guardians of the Princess, so you might want to pay more attention. This stuff could save your life."_

_Cere just frowned._

"_So why do I have to be here?" Ves grumbled. "I know all this stuff."_

"_Do you?" Minako grinned._

"_Bet I could take you in a fight," Ves replied, rising to the challenge._

"_Fine. Show me," Minako said. Makoto was off to the side and she tried to conceal her grin. But Jun caught it._

"_Hey, Ves, there's no need . . ." Jun began._

"_Yeah, give you another excuse to dump on me?" Ves said suspiciously. "Toss me out of here, maybe even hand me over to the police? I'm not that stupid."_

"_No reprisals," Minako told her. "Take a free shot. Teach me how you street thugs fight. I'm always looking to learn."_

"_Ves," Jun warned._

_Ves faked like she was turning to leave, then charged Minako. She was fast. Makoto could see it. But she was all bull rush, all naked aggression. Minako waited for the right moment, and then executed a good hip toss, just like Makoto's martial arts teacher had taught Minako a thousand years ago. _

_The girl landed hard on the mat. To her credit, Ves was up and ready for a counter-attack in an instant. But Minako didn't stand and wait for her. She was already in Ves's face, attacking with karate moves that Makoto recognized. Ves was quick and didn't shrink from the_ _confrontation, but a blow landed for every two Ves blocked. And when Ves was overwhelmed with just mounting a defense, Minako struck. She grabbed Ves's wrist, then somersaulted so the girl's arm was trapped between Minako's legs and then sat down on her shoulder. Ves was pinned, unable to relieve the pressure on her arm and unable to throw or escape Minako. Doggedly, though, Ves refused to surrender._

_And then the pressure was gone. Ves looked up and saw Minako standing over her._

"_How'd you do that?" Ves demanded angrily._

"_I used something besides aggression and brute strength," Minako replied. "And I'M not even the best fighter here. That stuff might work on the street, but if you'd pulled that on Makoto, she would have tied your eyebrows into a knot. Now I can teach you that - - IF you're willing to learn."_

"_And if Ves still had her orb," Cere said, unimpressed, "she would have fried you, no matter how many fancy moves you put on her. And if all you're training us to be is cannon fodder to protect the life of a girl who hates our guts - - then maybe you should just ship me back to Brasilia right now."_

_Minako stared at Cere, but the girl didn't back down. She glanced at Jun and saw Jun was waiting to see if Minako could counter the argument. Ves was the same way. Palla-Palla seemed to sense the drama in the room and walked over to Ves._

"_Nobody's keeping you here," Minako said. She shrugged. "It's your chance at redemption. I'm not going to force you to take it."_

_With that, Cere turned and walked out of the gym. After a beat, the others followed. Minako expelled a frustrated breath._

"_So how DO we get to them?" Minako asked Makoto._

"_Give them something they think is worth risking their lives for," Makoto answered. "It would really help if Small Lady would try to accept them."_

"_I think I'd have an easier time not being drop dead gorgeous," Minako frowned. _

_Walking down the corridor to their quarters, there was an awkward silence between the four girls. Finally Jun spoke up._

"_You know," Jun began, "she is right. This is our chance at redemption."_

"_What, being human shields for the Queen's daughter?" Cere replied._

"_Doing something good with our lives," Jun argued. "Making up for what we did - - and what we almost did. You know, maybe the Princess is right to hate us. I certainly hate what we did."_

"_We can make up for what we did in Brasilia," Cere responded._

"_Can we?" Jun challenged. "Maybe you can. But Ves has already got two strikes against her there. And they'll just ship me and Palla-Palla back to the orphanage until we're eighteen."_

"_Palla-Palla doesn't want to go back to the orphanage," Palla-Palla responded anxiously._

"_Look, you want to stay? Stay!" Cere snapped. Immediately she reigned in her temper. "I want to atone, too. But I don't want to atone with my life. Being her guardians is just going to get us killed. Or maybe used as blunt objects, just like Nehelenia did."_

"_Yeah, I've never been much for working on a team," Ves added. "Too many rules. What we ought to do is go into business for ourselves. Be our own blunt objects."_

"_You're the only blunt object here," Cere scowled. Ves glared. "Being some criminal gang isn't going to atone. The best thing we can do is go somewhere where nobody heard of the Amazoness Quartet and just live out our lives anonymously."_

"_Boring," sneered Ves._

"_But Palla-Palla doesn't want to leave the palace," Palla-Palla countered. "Palla-Palla wants to stay with the Queen. And maybe the Queen will adopt her and make her a pretty princess."_

_Cere sighed as they entered their quarters. "Then you guys do that. I just want out of here."_

_And she disappeared into her room._

* * *

"What are you doing?" Hotaru asked.

Usa had invited her for a walk that had suspiciously taken them onto The Promenade. Now she was just wandering. Hotaru had thought they were going to look for signs of the Puppet Master demon. Then she thought they were just going to go shopping or have lunch to relieve the strain of the past few days. Now she didn't know what to think.

Shaking herself out of her deep thought, Usa looked at her friend like she'd heard her for the first time.

"Are you looking for that demon," Hotaru continued, "or are you looking for a way to keep Cere from quitting?"

"Yes," Usa scowled. "And I'm also wondering if I have the right to keep her from quitting."

"Not if it's what she really wants," Hotaru offered. "Are you sure it's what she really wants? Maybe she's just reacting to a traumatic event. Trauma makes people think about their mortality. It's sort of like what happened in the restaurant in Sao Paulo. That would have happened whether we were senshi or not. But I've noticed that I glance at the door whenever I'm eating at a restaurant now."

"Yeah," Usa replied softly, recognizing the gesture.

"Maybe she does still want to do it," Hotaru continued, "but that close call has made her think about her mortality."

"Well, she always was a pretty reluctant warrior," Usa judged. "She always seemed like she belonged on a beach in Brasilia with half a dozen guys fawning over her. I never figured out why she agreed to do it. I was just glad to have her." Usa smiled self-consciously as she looked down. "Eventually."

"See, she found the courage once to do it," Hotaru offered. "Maybe she can find it again."

"So what do I do to help her?" Usa fussed.

"Sailor Moon can't help everybody," Hotaru shrugged. "Neither can the Princess Usagi. If Cere doesn't want to come back, you can't just wave the Moon Tier and make everything better."

"Maybe you should talk to her."

"I will. I want her back, too. But it takes time to come back from a serious wound like that, physically and mentally. We can't push too hard or we'll drive her away."

Usa sighed. "You sure I just can't wave the Moon Tier and make everything better?"

"Positive," Hotaru smirked and playfully nudged her friend with her shoulder. "Now are you going to buy me lunch or what?"

* * *

_Three years ago: Cere was still in her room wondering what she was going to do with the rest of her life. Already she missed Sao Paulo, even if not all of the memories from there were good ones. And there was little about what she'd seen of Japan that appealed to her, other than the lush garden she noticed outside of the palace itself. _

_The elders that were in charge of them said repeatedly that she was free to refuse to do anything. Was she free to leave? It was an avenue worth exploring. She was almost sixteen and she could pass for eighteen easily. She could make her way in Sao Paulo. She could get some money together somehow, open a flower shop, maybe meet some handsome guy. Repentance by leading a virtuous life; it could be done. Padre Santiago might even approve._

_It would just mean leaving the others behind, because clearly they wanted to stay. Why did that mean so much? They weren't family._

_Cere swallowed. Yes they were. Her parents were dead. She had no siblings. Her aunt had rejected her. And she needed to belong. Looking back, that's why Cere went along when Ves and Jun made their break from the orphanage. Because she needed to be loved, loved the way a good family loved and cared and supported each other. She couldn't just walk away from that._

_But to stay meant she'd have to fight - - maybe die. And that fear of death was strong in her, stronger than the others. Palla-Palla didn't seem to understand the concept of death. Ves had faced so much in her life that death was just one more challenge. And Jun seemed to accept the inevitability of death, like some ancient philosopher. _

_But she was afraid. Cere rolled over. What was she going to do?_

"_Cere," came a voice at the door, followed by a knock. It was Jun. "You need to come out here."_

_Cere sighed dramatically. What was it, another petty dispute? Being the oldest, the others had looked to her to solve disputes. It was a burden she really didn't want. She was too young and pretty to be their surrogate mother. The door opened. She came out._

"_Oh!" Cere gasped. "Queen Serenity!"_

_Standing by the door to the main room was Queen Serenity. Jun was awestruck. Ves didn't know how to react. But Palla-Palla looked like she had just been presented a gigantic bowl of ice cream. The girl walked up to Serenity._

"_Pardon Palla-Palla, Miss Queen Serenity Ma'am," the girl began, "but are you really a queen?"_

_Serenity smiled with good humor. "Well, I've never really felt like one, but that's what they call me," she said. "And why don't you just call me Serenity."_

"_Oh, no!" gasped Palla-Palla. "Palla-Palla was taught never to call a grown up by her first name! It's not nice!"_

_Serenity knelt down so she was looking up at Palla-Palla. "Well I wouldn't want you to do anything you don't want to do. But that's such a mouth full otherwise. I'll tell you what: How would you like to call me Usagi-Mama?"_

"_Could Palla-Palla do that?" the girl marveled. _

"_Sure," smiled Serenity. Then she held up a cautionary finger. "But only in private. You can call me The Queen in public. Otherwise Luna will get upset. And you don't want to get Luna upset, because she's an old fusspot."_

_Palla-Palla cackled happily. Cere was privately amazed. Palla-Palla had already fallen under the Queen's spell. Even Jun and Ves were warming to her. As for herself, there was something about this woman. All the turmoil Cere had experienced in her room was suddenly gone. _

"_So," Cere began hesitantly, "what did you want to see us about, Queen Serenity?"_

_The Queen momentarily grew melancholy. "I wanted to apologize for my daughter's behavior. No matter the circumstances, it was rude." She thought a moment. "I also understand that you feel your self-defense training might not be enough to allow you to perform the job I'm hoping to give you. Your instructors have expressed the same concern."_

"_You're sending us back to Brasilia?" Cere asked, almost hopefully._

"_If it comes to that," Serenity admitted. "But I haven't given up on this idea." She paused again. "Do you think you'd be able to do the job if you had - - superhuman abilities again?"_

Continued in Chapter 6


	6. First Test Of Courage

THEN AND NOW  
Chapter 6: "First Test of Courage"  
A Neo-Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

* * *

_Three years ago: _

"_Do you think that's a good idea?" Minako asked. _

_She, Makoto, Rei and Ami were sitting in the shrine located in the Crystal Palace. Rei had just informed them of Queen Serenity's plans for the former Amazoness Quartet._

"_You think they'll abuse the powers they're given?" Ami inquired._

"_I always thought it was a bad idea to make a recovering alcoholic your bartender," Minako responded. "One or all of them could be tempted - - and by one or all, we all know who I'm talking about."_

"_Plus there's the problem of Palla-Palla," Makoto added. "Is she capable of handling superhuman powers in her mental state?"_

"_It's a concern," Ami nodded. "My examination of her revealed severe development disability in certain areas, such as memory retention and general comprehensive ability. However, she's strikingly developed, almost to a savant level, in math and I've confirmed she possesses telepathic ability. I feel the key isn't whether she can master a new skill, it's interesting her in retaining the skill in her memory. Dealing with her is in many ways like dealing with a four year old. Simple terms and concepts should work best."_

"_That doesn't answer my concern," Minako reiterated._

"_I can answer that," Rei replied. "I'm not worried. They truly want to reform."_

"_You read that?" Minako asked skeptically._

"_I did. We'll have to watch Ves-Ves a little more closely than the others, because she's the youngest and she's used to slipping into bad habits when the going gets tough. But unless they're the four greatest actresses I've ever encountered, they can't fool my sight."_

"_And we all know there's only one great actress in this palace," Minako replied._

"_Really?" Rei gasped in mock excitement. "Do you know her? Can you introduce me to her?" Makoto snickered._

"_Careful or I'll hide your beads," Minako grumbled._

"_I am concerned with one other thing," Ami spoke up. The others quieted. "How Usa is going to react to this. It's bad enough she must accept these girls as her guardians. How will she react to them suddenly being more powerful than she is?"_

_The other three expelled their breath in unison._

* * *

"_You can give us our orb powers back?" Ves gasped in amazement. Jun and Palla-Palla perked up as well. Even Cere seemed interested._

"_No, they won't be quite the same powers you had under Nehelenia," Serenity cautioned. "Those powers were extensions of her dark power. But I can give you the ability to bring forth the talents that lie within you. That is, if you're willing."_

"_Sign me up!" Ves exclaimed._

"_If Ves-Ves will do it, Palla-Palla will, too!" Palla-Palla chirped._

"_If we're going to do this job, we're going to need something more than some martial arts moves to fight with," Jun added._

_Everyone turned to Cere._

"_If I do this," Cere began, "and then decide later I want to leave, can I undo it?"_

_The question surprised Serenity. "Um, I suppose I could."_

"_Oh, stop being a priss and just say 'yes'!" snapped Ves._

"_Gutter rat," sneered Cere. She huffed out a breath. "Fine!"_

_With that, Serenity closed her eyes and let her head fall back slightly. Her arms spread. Silver light began to emerge from her chest. The teens stared in awe. In the center of the brilliant light, a jewel emerged. It's facets seemed to catch every shaft of light in the room and reflect it with a silver glow. Palla-Palla stared mesmerized at it, as if she sensed it on an entirely different level than the others. The jewel hovered in the air in between the Queen's two cupped hands._

_Suddenly a shard broke off from the jewel. Queen Serenity winced when it happened. A second shard broke off and she winced again. A third and a fourth broke off and each time the act seemed reflected by a sharper, deeper pain inside the Queen's body. Jun was about to express her concern when the shards shot towards the four Brasilian refugees. Before they could react, the shards struck them and melted into their chests._

"_Was that supposed to happen?" Cere asked._

_Queen Serenity responded by fainting._

"_OHMYGOD!" shrieked Cere._

"_What do we do?" Jun shouted in panic. "Cere, what do we do?"_

"_Bust out of here before they blame us!" Ves exclaimed._

"_We can't just leave her!" Jun roared. "We've got to help her!"_

"_I don't even know what's wrong with her!"_

_The door to their quarters hissed open. Framed by the doorway was King Endymion._

"_We didn't touch her!" Ves shouted._

_Ignoring her, Endymion swept over, knelt down and cradled his wife in his arms. Her breathing was still ragged, but a smile crept over her face._

"_I always feel better when I'm in your arms," Serenity sighed. Endymion's hand went to her neck, feeling for her pulse._

"_Is the Queen going to be all right?" Palla-Palla asked Endymion with a child's anxiety._

"_I'll be OK," Serenity gasped out, though she was still pale. "Please don't worry about me, Palla-Palla."_

_Shoe scuffs on the floor alerted everyone. The teens looked up and saw the four elder senshi standing in the doorway, led there by Rei's sensing Serenity's distress. Ami pushed past Rei and Makoto to check on the fallen Queen. That allowed the four teens to see who else was there._

_It was Usa. And she was not happy._

* * *

Present day, in the shrine inside the Crystal Palace, Rei Hino sat on a mat, her legs crossed and her hands resting on her knees in an approximation of The Buddha. If someone asked her what she was doing, she would tell them she was listening to the gods. Or she would tell them to go away. It's probably why no one asked.

Something touched her consciousness. Recognizing the light, she opened her eyes and smiled upon her visitor.

"Back so soon, Muffin?" Rei asked. She knew why. Ever impatient, the Princess was eager to find out where this Puppet Master demon was and deal with it.

"Seems like I always come to you when I want a story," she said with a grin. The girl was dressed sedately, for her, in form-fitting tight blue pants and matching short sleeve top, with a white belt and boots. "Anything?" Usa asked.

"I sense it," Rei told her. "It's still in the city."

"Then why hasn't it struck again?"

"It's waiting," Rei remarked. "It's probably aware of my presence. It's crafty and doesn't want to risk being dealt with. This demon is going to wait us out until there is minimal risk of capture."

"Well that blows," Usa frowned. "I hate that everyone is at risk - - that more people could end up like . . ." Her voice trailed off.

"Cere?" Rei asked.

"I thought it was gone, Aunt Rei!" the teen fumed. "What happened?"

"I'm not convinced it's the same one, Muffin," Rei replied. "The fact that it seems to be focused on the area of The Promenade could be significant - - or it could be just the fact that The Promenade is a prime feeding ground for it. But whether it's related to the first one or even the same one is highly unlikely."

"I hate just waiting around for it to strike!"

"You're the student of Sun Tsu," Rei replied. "What would he do?"

"Wait," Usa scowled. "But he wouldn't like it."

"I'll keep searching," Rei assured her. "I want to find this demon, too. But Muffin, don't let your actions be ruled by your passions. Don't try to force a confrontation with this demon out of a desperate need to protect everyone - - or out of a wrong-headed need to compensate for a perceived failure."

"Never gave it a second thought, Aunt Rei," Usa replied.

"Or out of a desire for vengeance on behalf of Cere."

Usa didn't reply to that.

* * *

_With the Queen resting comfortably, the elder senshi brought their charges to the gym to see if Serenity's efforts bore fruit._

"_I don't feel no different," Ves said, uncertain. "Before, I could feel my orb powers."_

"_There's got to be something in there," Makoto mused. "What you described tells me there's an actual shard of the Silver Crystal inside of you."_

"_Miss Makoto-Ma'am," Palla-Palla spoke up. "Palla-Palla keeps hearing a voice in her head. It's telling her to say something."_

"_Great, now she's hearing voices," Minako mumbled to Ami._

"_What's the voice telling you to say?" Makoto asked._

"_It's telling Palla-Palla to stick her hand in the air and say 'Pallas Star Power Make Up'."_

_The three senshi present glanced at each other. Then everyone's attention was riveted on the burst of light that swallowed Palla-Palla up. Moments later the light dissipated and Palla-Palla was wearing a sailor fuku with a blue skirt, boots and kerchief. It was hard to tell who was more surprised: The elders, the Amazons or Palla-Palla herself._

"_Ooh, magic!" Sailor Pallas squealed._

"_She actually did it," marveled Ami. "She actually made them into senshi with just the power of her crystal."_

"_You're surprised? It's Serenity," chuckled Minako._

"_Let me try!" exclaimed Ves. "Pallas Star Power Make Up!"_

_Nothing happened._

"_So how come it worked for her?"_

"_Your transformation phrase is different," Luna explained. The black cat had appeared in the room and walked with practiced haughtiness to a point in the center of the discussion. "It worked for Palla-Palla because her senshi identity is clearly Sailor Pallas. If you clear your mind, your phrase will come to each of you."_

_As the three girls cleared their minds, the three elders leaned in._

"_How is Serenity's progress?" Ami asked._

"_Recovering," Luna replied. "Again she's taken a foolhardy risk and lived to tell about it. That child has more luck than an entire room filled with talismans."_

"_Don't worry," grinned Minako. "Rei's by her side. She'll make Serenity pay."_

"_And every painful moment will be well deserved," added the cat._

"_Juno Star Power Make Up!" Jun called out. After a flash of light, she was wearing a sailor fuku of green and white._

"_Ceres Star Power Make Up!" Cere exclaimed. One flash of light later, she was wearing a sailor fuku of magenta and white._

"_Hey, it's not working for me!" bellowed Ves._

"_Don't know why," Sailor Juno quipped. "Your head is usually pretty empty."_

"_Clear your mind, child!" snapped Luna. "This isn't something you can force!"_

_Ves screwed up her expression and clenched. After a few moments, Pallas walked over and tugged on Ves's sleeve. Getting the girl's attention, she whispered something into her ear._

"_How'd you know that, Stupid?" Ves demanded._

"_Pallas heard it with her head," Pallas explained. "Only she heard it in your head." Chagrined, Ves transformed into the crimson and white Sailor Vesta._

"_Now by using the same means," Luna told them, "your attack phrase will come to you. This will invoke whatever ability your senshi form grants you. Sailor Pallas, since you've proven the most adept so far, you may go first."_

"_Yes, Miss Kitty-Ma'am," Pallas nodded. As Luna did a slow burn, Pallas concentrated. "Beautiful Incantation!"_

_Unexpectedly, invisible hands grasped Luna around the ribs and lifted her into the air. The cat began to thrash wildly. Everyone else looked in surprise._

"_Are you doing that?" Makoto asked._

"_Yes, Miss Makoto-Ma'am," Pallas nodded._

"_Telekinesis," Ami remarked with interest. "She has advanced telekinesis in this form in addition to her telepathy."_

"_PUT ME DOWN!" wailed Luna._

"_Please don't worry, Miss Kitty-Ma'am. You're ever so light. Pallas won't drop you."_

_Luna eased to the ground. She crouched nervously as the invisible hands released her._

"_Guess I'm next," Juno ventured. "Aqua Initiation!"_

_Mist began to form around Juno's outstretched hands. The vapor began to gather until it formed droplets, then drops. The drops grew bigger until there was a grid of twelve drops of water, each an inch long, hovering in the air. Juno grinned. The drops began to move in the air, dancing and swirling, clearly being manipulated by Juno._

"_Mental control over water," Ami noted out loud._

"_Floral Stimulation," they heard Sailor Ceres say. _

_Plants began to grow in the air from spores that were in the room. As they expanded, they settled to the floor. Joining them, more shoots began to push through the artificial surface of the floor. They grew at an accelerated rate, expanding and filling one corner of the gym with green. Then flowers began to bud. They quickly grew to full bloom and dotted the green with reds, violets, yellows and pinks. Everyone was happily amazed, but none more so than Ceres._

"_Did I do that?" she gasped happily. "My God, that's wonderful! It's so beautiful! What a wonderful power to have!"_

"_Fauna Assimilation," Vesta said, then stopped. She realized that she would have to finish the phrase with an animal of some kind, "um, gorilla."_

_Immediately her shoulders began to expand. Her chest filled out. The muscles of her arms and legs expanded. Vesta was still human, but had the hulking frame of a gorilla. To everyone's eye, she probably had the raw power of one as well._

"_Man, I feel like I could tear that wall down!" Vesta marveled. Then she glanced at Minako. "Bet you couldn't take me now."_

_Minako didn't respond, but she didn't back down._

"_Now, none of that!" Luna said sharply. "You haven't been granted these powers for your personal amusement! Having the powers of a senshi is a responsibility! And if any of you lack the maturity to properly handle such responsibility, they will be taken from you!" Vesta settled back into a sullen scowl. "Now, your powers are still evolving. Over time, your power will become stronger. You'll be able to do more within the parameters of the attack. Vesta, for example, can now only mimic an animal's form and ability. Eventually she should be able to completely transform into that animal form. Practice your attacks. Control is essential, not only for performing your mission, but for protecting yourself in a confrontation."_

"_But don't become dependent on your attacks," Makoto added. "Keep up with your martial arts training. It's good discipline and it's a good thing to have to fall back on in case your attack gets countered."_

* * *

"_I'm really fine!" fumed Serenity._

"_Be quiet and rest!" Rei responded sharply. Serenity began to pout._

"_Don't you ever get tired of being mean?" the Queen asked childishly._

"_Don't you ever get tired of being a ditz?" Rei shot back. The Queen stuck her tongue out at her friend. She was about to respond with another childish insult when she noticed a piece of jade in Rei's hands._

"_What's that?" she asked._

"_It's a piece of jade," Rei responded, looking at the fragment of crystal. "It was part of a dragon figurine that was in the curio shop where that woman went berserk."_

"_And you think it's connected?"_

_Rei glanced at Serenity and smiled, proud of her friend's perceptiveness. "I know it's connected. I can feel traces of that puppet master demon in this jade. The demon was probably sealed in the statuette. But the seal was broken or wore away with time and the demon escaped."_

"_Can you seal it back up?" Serenity asked._

"_Not in this," Rei responded. "If I knew if the demon had a weakness for jade or if it was just used because it was handy, I could prepare something to seal it in. As it is, I'm probably going to have better luck just destroying it - - if I can."_

"_You can do it," Serenity replied._

"_You're so sure."_

"_Everyone will help you, Rei," Serenity admonished her. "You don't have to do it by yourself."_

_Rei scowled. She didn't want to risk Serenity or the others, and she didn't want to admit that she needed help with a spiritual problem, but depending on how strong this demon was, she might just have to use their help._

_The priest turned the jade over in her hand. And the thought occurred to her: How connected was this demon to its former jade prison?_

* * *

_It was later in the day and Cere was wandering the palace. She would explore the floors, noting the architecture, and paid particular attention to the art that graced the walls of the palace. Over the years Serenity and Endymion had been gifted with some remarkably valuable works from admirers. Many of the pieces adorned the corridors of the palace, while most of them were visible in the Royal Receiving Room, the Royal Ballroom or in the front lobby of the palace by the main entrance gate. _

_It was that last place where Cere found herself. Art had always been a weakness for her, as had flowers and plants. And, given the treasure trove of art that the Crystal Palace had, and given the new ability she had been granted as Sailor Ceres, Cere was beginning to reassess her desire to return to Brasilia. Maybe this gig wouldn't be so bad after all._

_Suddenly the peace of the lobby was shattered. Shattered too was a modern art piece from the mid-twenty-first century that had been made of panes of colored glass suspended from a branched pedestal. Cere turned to the sound as everyone did._

_One of the palace security guards had a jagged shard of the art piece in his hand. Cere was near enough to him that she could see the edge of the glass digging into the flesh of his hand, so much so that blood was dripping from the heel of his palm. She looked up into his face, not understanding why the pain didn't push him to drop the glass shard. In his eyes was a maniacal stare, one that spoke of madness and murder and mayhem. Cere's blood ran cold at the sight. And that was before he locked eyes with her. His mouth pulled back with an even wider grin._

_And he struck, slashing at Cere with the jagged shard. She was able to avoid the first slash, but he bore in on her, swinging the weapon again and again. The third slash hit home, slicing Cere's upper arm. Shrieking in terror, Cere fell to the floor and threw her hands up in a panicked attempt to ward off a killing strike._

_When none came, she looked up. Her attacker had already lost interest in her. He had turned on two more people, a young mother and her young boy. The woman let out a mewl of fear and covered her boy with her body as she backed them away. It seemed to egg the man on. He charged them. The woman moved to flee with her son, but Cere could see they were too slow. The crazed guard would be on them in moments, his weapon poised to strike._

_Cere watched from her spot on the floor. She couldn't move. She couldn't run. She couldn't think to change into Sailor Ceres. All she could think of as the woman and her son faced injury or possible death was the panicked thought of him turning back on her again._

Continued in Chapter 7


	7. Branded

THEN AND NOW  
Chapter 7: "Branded"  
A Neo-Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

* * *

_Cere watched from her spot on the floor. She couldn't move. She couldn't run. She couldn't think to change into Sailor Ceres. All she could think of as the woman and her son faced injury or possible death at the hands of a maniacal assailant was the thought of him turning back and attacking her again. _

_Then from nowhere a pink streak flashed into her field of vision. The streak knocked the woman and boy from the guard's path. Suddenly robbed of his prey, the guard stopped and turned. The woman and her son were sprawled on the floor near a nineteenth century painting of a Japanese samurai. Rising to meet the challenge and protect them was Princess Usagi._

"_I don't know what the problem is here," Usa said, trying to sound at once commanding and conciliatory, "but we can work it out! You don't need to resort to violence!"_

"_Kill you all!" the guard bellowed with an unearthly glee. He charged the Princess, the jagged glass in his hand poised to slash her. Several people in the lobby cried out in fear for the beloved Princess._

_And Cere still stared from the floor, still frozen with fear._

_Most people would have backed away from the charge. Usa met him half way. The guard slashed down with the glass fragment. But Usa blocked with her left arm. She wasn't strong enough to stop its descent, but she altered the course of the glass for it to be non-threatening. With her right hand, balled into a fist, she punched up for the throat rather than the jaw. Her attacker staggered back, gasping for breath. The Princess locked both hands on the wrist behind the glass fragment and twisted his arm over her shoulder so the arm ended palm up. The hand opened and the glass fell to the floor, shattering upon impact. _

_Enraged, the guard grabbed one of the trails of hair from Usa's rabbit ear odangos and pulled. Usa bent backwards awkwardly. Then he caught her from behind in a bear hug. With his arms locked across her diaphragm, Usa had a hard time breathing. She jammed her heel down on the foot of her attacker and he howled with pain. But he didn't let go. The Princess struggled to get free as air came harder and harder to her._

_And still Cere cowered in the corner, as did the other people still in the lobby._

_Doggedly Usa fought to escape the grip of the mad guard. He began to laugh, as if he were enjoying her pain. She gasped for breath that wouldn't come. Again she lashed out with her foot, this time at his knee. But he only laughed._

_Then, suddenly, he released. Usa fell to her knees and gasped in air. When she was able to think again, she looked back at him to see if he intended to attack. But the man lay on the floor, stunned and motionless. One of Sailor Mars' wards was stuck across his face._

"_Burning," Sailor Mars shouted and everyone turned to her. But the senshi stopped. Usa watched her walk up to the prone guard and stare down at him in obvious frustration._

"_Was it the Puppet Master demon?" Usa choked out breathlessly._

"_Yes," Sailor Mars answered, then helped Usa to her feet. "But the demon has fled. And I can't even tell where."_

_Usa nodded. Then she turned to Cere. The Princess walked up to within three feet of the girl._

"_You can get up now," Usa told her, the contempt in her voice obvious. "It's over."_

"_I," Cere began, her humiliation forcing her eyes to the floor. "It was . . .I'm sorry. . ."_

"_At least you didn't join up with him," Usa sneered. "I guess that's something."_

_Sailor Mars watched Usa turn and walk away, then shifted her gaze to Cere. She had read the word "coward" on her favorite person's thoughts as the girl passed. Curiously she read the same thing from Cere as the teen slunk off._

* * *

"I can't help feeling like I'm letting you down," Cere said in the present day. Usa was in her infirmary room visiting. "Just like that one time."

"You're not," Usa told her. "Being a senshi isn't something you should do if your heart isn't in it. I know that now. And this is totally different from that time. You almost died. That's going to get anybody's attention. It's not being a coward to be concerned about your own life. You've got a lot to live for. We all do."

"But you do it," Cere looked down. "Hotaru does it. Jun does it. Ves - - well, Ves is crazy. Bad example." She trailed off.

"You're still wondering why I do it?"

"No, I know why. You've got this vision of this perfect world where everybody's safe and happy. You got it from your parents. You want to finish what they started, or if they finally achieve it, you want to keep it going. It's so noble - - more noble than why I want to quit."

"Sure, Cere, but that's me," Usa said. "Don't go comparing yourself to other people. It can drive you nuts." She smiled sheepishly. "I kind of know that first hand. Thing is, you've got to do what's best for you sometimes. Sure, we all have to look out for each other, lend a hand when we can. But we've got to look out for ourselves, too. Being a senshi isn't an obligation. Being a good senshi is an obligation. If you can't do that because you're too worried about not coming back to what's important to you, then you can't be a good senshi."

"But I," Cere began.

"Look, the spot's always there," Usa assured her. "It always will be. If you ever decide that you need to do it again, we'll all gladly welcome you back. But don't feel guilty if you can't. You served with honor and distinction for three years. It's all anybody has the right to ask of you."

Just then Usa's personal com-link signaled her.

"Hello?" Usa inquired. "You did? I'm on my way!" After disconnecting, Usa got up from the chair next to Cere's bed. "That was Aunt Rei. She's got a line on the Puppet Master demon. I have to go."

"Be careful!" Cere said anxiously.

"Tell you about it when we get back," Usa smiled confidently. Then in a blur of pink, she was gone.

And Cere laid her head back on the pillow and worried.

* * *

_Three years ago: Tears running down her face, Cere burst into her quarters, praying that no one else was there. Of course, they were all there. Ves saw her immediately because she still jumped warily at every sound. That alerted Jun and Palla-Palla. Cere tried to go straight to the sanctuary of her room, but Jun intercepted her._

"_Cere, what is it? What happened?" Jun demanded._

"_Cere-Cere thinks she's a coward!" gasped Palla-Palla._

"_WOULD YOU STOP THAT!" Cere screamed, whirling on Palla-Palla. "GET OUT OF MY MIND, YOU LITTLE SNOOP!"_

"_Palla-Palla didn't mean to do it!" wailed the girl._

"_Cere, what happened?" Jun said forcefully._

"_There was a man, in the lobby," Cere broke down haltingly. She hid her gaze in shame. "He tried to slash me. He was going to kill a woman and her son." She twisted up in anguish. "And I just sat there! I was going to let him kill those two people - - because I was too afraid!"_

_Jun noticed the dried blood on her arm. "Hey, you were hurt. It probably knocked you for a loop, getting attacked like that . . ."_

"_NO!" Cere bellowed. "The Princess waded right in! She took him on with nothing more than her bare hands! She saved them!" Cere sobbed. "I was going to let him kill them! I was going to sit there and watch him kill two people in cold blood! Maybe The Princess is right! Maybe I am evil!"_

_Cere slid out of Jun's arms and collapsed onto the floor, sobbing pitifully. Jun was about to kneel down next to her, but Palla-Palla swooped in first. She threw her arms around Cere and covered the girl with her body._

"_No, Cere-Cere is not evil!" she wailed. "Cere-Cere is good and kind and Palla-Palla loves her! And she doesn't care what Granny Zirconia or the bad Queen or the Princess or anybody says!"_

_Wordlessly, Ves turned and headed for the door._

"_Ves!" Jun shouted. "What are you going to do?"_

"_I'm going to hand that stuck up Princess her teeth!" roared Ves. "This is all her fault! We're trying, damn it! But all she's done since the minute we showed up is hate us!"_

"_She's right to hate us!" Cere shouted. "Look at everything we've done! We're the ones who got sucked in by Nehelenia! We're the ones who did her dirty work! We knew what we were doing! We just didn't think about the consequences!"_

"_Bull!" Ves snapped. "It was the orbs!"_

"_We could have thrown them away at any time! We just didn't want to! Think about how many people we hurt! Think about how many lives we disrupted! Think about everything we did to her!" Cere pulled her legs to her chest and pressed her cheek into her knees. "She's got every reason to hate us. I hate myself. I wish he HAD killed me!"_

_Ves stared, stunned to silence. Palla-Palla hugged her more tightly. Jun began crying herself. And then the door opened. Ves and Jun looked and found Queen Serenity in the doorway._

"_Forgive me for intruding," she said, gently but solemnly._

"_Come to kick us out?" Ves asked fatally._

"_No," Serenity assured her. "I just heard about what happened and I wanted to see if Cere-Cere was all right." Unbidden, the Queen glided over and knelt down next to Cere. Feeling her aura, Palla-Palla released her adoptive sister and deferred to the Queen. "Cere-Cere, please don't blame yourself. It doesn't matter who stopped that poor man from hurting people. The important thing is no one was badly hurt. Although I do wish you'd let Ami look at your arm."_

_Cere didn't answer. She wouldn't look at the Queen._

"_The will to survive is a powerful one," the Queen continued. "Finding the courage to risk one's own life in order to help another isn't something everyone finds immediately. My first mission as Sailor Moon ended with me sitting on the floor crying, terrified for my life and being saved by Tuxedo Mask. Fear was my constant companion in those early days and on a lot of missions after that. But courage is born of the need to protect something precious to you, something more precious than your life itself. For me, it was the need to protect other people from harm. It gave me the strength to drown out that overwhelming urge to save myself," and she smiled self-consciously, "just long enough to protect that precious thing."_

"_I don't think I can do that," whimpered Cere. "I'm - - too selfish."_

"_You can do it," Serenity said, rubbing the girl's arm with her hand. "You just have to find that precious thing to protect."_

"_What if I can't?"_

"_Then we'll find something you're good at," Serenity smiled. "Cere-Cere, I'm not trying to force you into doing this. I just happen to think you'll be good at it. But if you're not, we're not going to send you away. You and the others have a home here for as long as you want to stay. No strings." Serenity thought. "Well, one string: You have to be nice to people. But even if all you become is the palace gardener, I won't think any less of you."_

_Cere looked at her. This was so unlike anything she'd experienced under Nehelenia and Zirconia, or at the orphanage before that. She hadn't experienced this kind of unconditional love since she met Palla-Palla. Or since her parents died. This woman radiated so much love that it seemed to ooze out of her pores._

_Maybe she had just found that precious thing._

* * *

"_She's late," Rei fumed, her arms crossed over her chest._

_The four elder senshi were sitting at a table in a conference room off of the room where Endymion usually met with his cabinet ministers. It was where the royal couple and their four most trusted advisors often met to discuss affairs of state. _

"_Come on, Rei. Serenity's never been the punctual type," Makoto replied with good humor, "unless it's dinner time, of course."_

"_She CALLED this meeting," Rei said in exasperation._

"_And your point?" Minako asked._

"_Sorry I'm late!" Serenity exclaimed as she breezed in the room. "I wanted to check on Cere-Cere after that awful incident in the lobby!" She took a seat. "And DON'T glare at me like that, Rei Hino!"_

"_Did you see the recording on that?" Minako marveled. "Usa was kicking his butt!"_

"_I know!" gasped Makoto. "I swear, I just taught her those moves yesterday! She is the quickest study I have ever seen!"_

"_Yes, she's very good," Serenity said with some trepidation. "At least in the parts I saw. I had my hand over my eyes most of the time!"_

"_She seems to be progressing into her chosen role very adeptly," Ami suggested. "Perhaps you could have a little more confidence in her?"_

"_I can't help it!" wailed Serenity. "She's my baby! I worry!"_

"_Too much," Rei commented acidly. Serenity stuck her tongue out at the priest._

"_Anyway, that's what I want to talk about," Serenity continued. "Poor Cere-Cere is a wreck over what happened down there! And those two innocent by-standers were nearly killed! This has to stop! We have to find this whatever it is demon and stop it before anyone else gets hurt!"_

"_We're doing what we can, Serenity," Rei said. "So far I haven't found any concrete leads on where to find it. The fact that it attacked in the palace and not The Promenade blew up the theory I was working on."_

"_Ami?" Serenity asked._

"_There's nothing traceable I can find that can account for the sudden loss of voluntary muscle control and submersion of personality," Ami replied. "Although some supernatural entities have measurable magnetic or biochemical components, many don't. This entity seems to fall into the latter category."_

"_Any common characteristics to the victims?" Minako suggested. "Maybe we can predict who its next target might be."_

"_Nothing that we've found," Makoto explained, "other than what Rei suggested - - that they all had an unusual amount of psychological turmoil recently in their lives."_

"_That must attract it," Ami surmised. "But how much? And are there other contributing factors? For example, Cere-Cere was in a great deal of emotional stress during the attack. Why wasn't she victimized?"_

"_Maybe you can use the crystal to just wish it here," Minako joked._

"_I'll do it if it helps!" exclaimed Serenity. "Thank you all for your efforts. Please keep working at it. We need to stop this now."_

_Everyone got up. As the others left, Ami stopped Serenity before she could leave._

"_How is Cere-Cere doing?" Ami asked._

"_I don't think she's adapting very well," Serenity admitted. "Maybe Small Lady - - um, I mean Usa - - maybe Usa was right. Maybe trying to make them senshi wasn't a good idea."_

* * *

Evening in The Promenade: business was brisk, though down some in the wake of the recent mass slashings. In a way, it was a good thing for Rei Hino and Sailor Moon. There were fewer potential victims for the Puppet Master demon, and fewer of the public to interfere in their mission just because they wanted to touch or talk to the Princess.

"We're here," Rei announced, stopping the procession of herself, Sailor Moon and four of her five senshi. "Sailor Pallas, use your telepathy and try to sense anyone who might be thinking violent thoughts, particularly if they come on suddenly."

"Yes, Miss Rei-ma'am. Pallas will do that," Pallas said, then set about concentrating.

"The rest of you look for anyone acting suspiciously," Rei told the others. "Darting eyes, nervous posture, acting aggressively or stalking someone."

"Oh, you mean someone who acts like Ves?" Juno cracked. Everyone smothered a smile, while Vesta made a rude gesture at Juno.

"You're certain it's here?" Sailor Saturn asked as she scanned the throngs.

"It's here," Rei replied. "I can't pinpoint it, but I can sense it. This demon is tied to this area. And I still think it's something about that curio shop."

"Pallas felt something just now," Sailor Pallas reported.

"Was it violent or aggressive?" Rei asked.

"No," Pallas shook her head. "Pallas only heard it for a moment. Somebody was telling somebody else what to do, but with their head. The voice sounded familiar."

"Could be our demon?" Sailor Moon asked.

"Something's up," Vesta looked around suspiciously. "There's something not right about this place. I don't know what, but something's not right." Vesta listened for a beat. "Fauna Assimilation, Timber Wolf!"

The senshi transformed into a gray timber wolf. She sniffed the air and immediately let out a guttural growl. That put everyone else on edge.

"Look!" Juno exclaimed.

Filtering through the evening crowds, several people were approaching the senshi. They came from several angles, all walking as if nothing were wrong. But they were approaching.

Rei acted instantly. Several wards appeared in her hand and pressed to her forehead as she mumbled the chant to infuse them with her spirit energy. The Moon Tier appeared in Sailor Moon's hand. Saturn and Juno crouched in readiness, while Vesta growled out a warning. The milling crowd reacted to the sudden movement with surprise and confusion.

Then a shriek split the air. Everyone turned to it. A man was poised over Sailor Pallas, ready to plunge a long kitchen knife into her.

Continued in Chapter 8


	8. Up From The Pit

THEN AND NOW  
Chapter 8: "Up From The Pit"  
A Neo-Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

* * *

A man wielding a knife stood over Sailor Pallas, the knife poised to plunge into her. Instantly Sailor Vesta, in wolf form, lunged for the person, her fangs bared and her intent was to bite through the wrist of the hand holding the knife if she had to.

But Vesta pulled up short when the man holding the knife was seized from behind by a moving plant. Then she recognized it: it was one of Sailor Ceres' humanoid plant constructs. The knife-wielding man turned within the grip of the plant man and began hacking at it with the knife. The plant man responded by increasing the volume of the leaves and shoots on the main torso until the man it was struggling with was engulfed. Moments later the blade clattered to the pavement.

Vesta looked around, but couldn't see any sign of Ceres. She did see more plant constructs approaching, seeking to catch and restrain the mob.

"Hey, Ceres is in the game!" exclaimed Sailor Juno. "Aqua Initiation!"

Using her power to form water cannonballs, Juno fired and knocked one of the approaching attackers to the ground. Saturn had already leaped into the fray, using her glaive to sever several blades from their hilts with one swing. Pirouetting gracefully, she swung the handle of her glaive and knocked three of the attackers from their feet. Pallas had the knife of another attacker held telekinetically and was using her mental powers to pry the knife loose and disarm her.

Meanwhile Sailor Moon just stood there, intently watching Hino-Sensei, oblivious to everything else. Hino-Sensei had her eyes closed and was concentrating. After a moment, Vesta realized she was searching for the Puppet Master demon. Then one of the controlled attackers got too close and Vesta looked away. Changing into a gorilla, she seized the knife and effortlessly disarmed the attacker, then violently threw the woman to the ground, bellowing angrily over her prone form.

"There," Rei said suddenly, pointing to a spot twelve feet above the square.

Sailor Moon acted instantly.

"Silver Moon Crystal Power Kiss!" she roared, pointing the Moon Tier at the designated spot.

Pink energy shot out and struck something. Stirring memories of a previous battle, the senshi saw the pink energy illuminate a demonic form in the air. The demon was vaguely human, in the form of a sinisterly beautiful woman of ancient origin, unclothed to the waist and a vapor trail below the waist. She seized up and howled angrily as the pink energy surrounded her, as if she was bathing in fire.

"It's the same one," Sailor Moon whispered to herself, though Rei heard her.

And that momentary lapse of concentration was all the opening the demon needed. It glared angrily at Rei and Sailor Moon, then shot for them at terrific speed. In a moment's time, the demon impacted with Rei and sent her stumbling back several paces. Rei folded up, bending her knees and doubling over.

"AUNT REI!" Sailor Moon screeched. All of the other controlled people suddenly sank to the pavement, unconscious. Sailor Moon reached for Rei as the other senshi watched. They could see the priest quivering.

"GYYAHHHHHHHH!" Rei exclaimed, a guttural, unnatural growl.

She unfolded like a shot and lunged at Sailor Moon, her hands seeking the girl's throat. Sailor Moon backed up two steps as Sailor Saturn rushed in to protect her. Then Rei sank to her knees and flung her head up to face the sky.

Her mouth opened. Her eyes went wide. And the demonic entity, bits of Sailor Moon's pink energy still illuminating it, shot from Rei Hino's mouth and eyes, rocketing up into the air. It screamed once, in obvious pain, and then dispersed like smoke.

"Aunt Rei!" Sailor Moon gasped, moving to comfort the priest as she sat on her knees and sucked in air. But Sailor Saturn restrained her.

"Careful, Sailor Moon," Saturn said. "She still might be possessed."

"No," Pallas said, watching next to Vesta. "The bad voice is gone."

Sailor Moon slid to her knees and put her arms around the priest. Several loud pants later, Rei was finally able to speak.

"I understand now," Rei said between deep gasps.

"Aunt Rei, I'm sorry! It got away from me!" Sailor Moon wailed.

"It's OK," Rei patted Sailor Moon's thigh. "She's a slippery one. Thank the gods I had the spiritual presence to expel her."

"You said 'you understand now'," Juno inquired.

"The demon," Rei panted. "Why it exists. Why we didn't exorcise it completely last time."

"Do you know how to kill it this time?"

The priest grew a determined look. "I know how to trap it," she replied.

When the senshi returned to the palace, Palla-Palla made a bee-line to Cere's infirmary room. Ignoring the nurses and infirmary staff, Palla-Palla walked straight up to Cere's bed. By now used to Palla-Palla's tunnel vision when she was intent on doing something, Cere just looked at her.

"Thank you very much for keeping that puppet man from hurting Palla-Palla," the teen said earnestly.

"It's OK," Cere said tolerantly.

"And Palla-Palla is very glad that Cere-Cere wanted to join us in hunting for the bad voice."

Cere clouded over a little.

"Cere-Cere is still afraid?" Palla-Palla said with some surprise.

"I WISH you wouldn't do that!" Cere huffed.

"Cere-Cere felt the knife when her plant man got stabbed?"

Cere looked down. "Yeah," she said softly. "My plant construct got stabbed four times - - and I felt every one of them. And I couldn't help flashing back to - - the other time. The time that landed me here. Brought back a whole bunch of bad memories."

"Palla-Palla is sorry," the teen whimpered. "This isn't going to make Cere-Cere quit, is it? Because Palla-Palla doesn't want Cere-Cere to quit." Her lip protruded and she looked down. "Because then Cere-Cere might go away."

"I'm not going away," Cere told her. "I've kind of gotten used to this place. And both the Queen and the Princess have told me I can stay here as long as I like. The only way I'd leave is if Hiroki and I got married. And even then, I'd still be in Crystal Tokyo." She drew a long breath. "As for quitting - - I haven't really decided yet."

"But we're a team," Palla-Palla protested. "How are we going to be a team if you quit?"

"You can still be a team without me," Cere told her. "It's not who makes up the team that makes it a team. It's whether those people work together."

Just then the others showed up at the door to the room. Cere waved them in.

"Smart move sending your plant men out to back us up," Ves nodded.

"Bet it burned your tongue to say that," Cere replied cynically.

"A little," Ves shrugged.

"It was a big help," Usa told her. "Aunt Rei's got another line on this thing. I'll keep you informed."

"All right," Cere replied with feigned enthusiasm. Palla-Palla, of course, knew better.

* * *

_Three years ago: Diana padded into the Princess's bedroom and looked the teen over, as she had done every night for years. It was her job to be Princess Usagi's friend, confidant, advisor and general guardian, and it was a job she had done with great pride and enthusiasm for four years now. She liked the Princess, understood the expectations she had grown up under and the expectations Usa put on herself beyond what everyone else did. She wanted to see the girl succeed. This latest rough spot was trying both for her and her charge, but Diana was confident that Usa would find a way to get beyond it._

_Asleep in her bed, a plush white unicorn clutched to her chest that she had slept with every night since she nagged her parents to buy it for her four years ago after returning from the twentieth century, Usa began to dream. For much of the last four years she had experienced only pleasant dreams, something she gratefully credited her Helios with. Dressed only in her pajama tops - - since turning fifteen, the Princess had begun experimenting with showing more of her growing body, as much to explore her growing independence as to appease rising sexual urges - - Usa purred in her sleep._

_In her dream, she was strolling through a lush meadow of tall grass and full shade trees dotted with succulent fruit, wearing a sleeveless yellow sun dress. She was barefoot and her pink trails of hair brushed against the gress. The sky was blue, speckled with small puffy clouds, and the air was warm and fresh. Everything seemed so real and so delightful, much moreso than a normal dream. Usa sensed the hand of Helios in this and smiled to herself._

_Looking up into the tall sky, she saw Pegasus flying to the east, high up in the air. He soared majestically and Usa felt her heart flutter. She waved at him, but he was too high to see her. A moment's disappointment colored her mood. A gentle hand touched her shoulder and she turned to it._

_"Hi, stranger," Usa grinned. Helios was behind her, in all of his gentle, sexy glory._

_"Forgive me for invading your dreams, Maiden," he said, "but it has been far too long since I have seen you."_

_"I'm not complaining," she replied. The two came together and embraced. "This kind of looks like Elysian."_

_"An artist paints what he is most familiar with," Helios offered._

_The pair walked hand in hand through the meadow._

_"I must confess that there is another reason for my appearing in your dream," Helios told her. "I sense your inner turmoil. It colors your beautiful dream light. If you wish it, I can offer you my advice if you are without direction. Or if you prefer, just my stout frame for you to lean against."_

_Usa scowled and looked away for a moment. "Do you remember the Amazoness Quartet?"_

_"Quite vividly," Helios replied._

_"Well," Usa began, searching for the best way to break the news, "Mom has got it in her head that she can reform them. Not surprising for Mom, I guess. She doesn't think anybody is a lost cause. But she wants to make them my senshi. After what they did to you!"_

_They walked on a few paces._

_"You are unwilling to forgive their actions," Helios judged._

_"Do you?"_

_"Yes," Helios responded. Usa looked at him, surprised. "Maiden, they were blackened by the darkness of Nehelenia."_

_"They chose their path," Usa countered._

_"They were seduced and had a moment of weakness. They were not previously evil."_

_"I'm not so sure about Ves-Ves," Usa argued. "I've been checking up on her."_

_"Maiden," Helios began. "Do not underestimate the dark influence of Nehelenia. She corrupted everything she touched. It was her mission to extinguish the beautiful dreams of the world and replace them with the dark hopelessness that so twisted her soul, so that everyone would be as fallen and as without hope as she was."_

_Usa didn't respond, but Helios could sense she wasn't buying it._

_"Maiden," he persisted, "you know the story of Nehelenia, do you not? How vanity and hatred propelled her descent into darkness? I am told that she once had a beautiful dream light, but that light was extinguished by the hatred she cradled within her soul like an infant child. It left her barren and incapable of loving anyone but herself." Helios stopped and took Usa by the shoulders, turning her to face him. "Maiden, you must let this emnity for the Amazoness Quartet go. Otherwise I fear for you. I fear you could slide down the same slope Nehelenia slid down and fall into the same unrelenting pit of darkness she fell into."_

_"That won't happen," Usa told him confidently. "Not as long as I have your love to hold onto."_

_"You give me too much credit, Maiden," he said. "I will do everything in my power to be worthy of your faith in me." Helios gently caressed her cheek. "But it would be much easier on you, on me and on everyone surrounding you, if you would expunge this stain on your dream light yourself."_

_He cupped her face in his hands, leaned in and kissed her._

_"Know that I will love you no matter your decision." He kissed her again. "Until we meet again, My Maiden."_

_Usa opened her eyes. She was in her bedroom. Her hand caressed the nose of the plush unicorn at her chest._

_"I'll try, Helios," she whispered. "For you."_

* * *

_Usa walked into the gym wearing her practice clothing: A pink long-sleeve leotard with white leggings, ankle warmers that Makoto had knit herself, and low-heel shoes. Her twin tails of hair were pulled back from her head and held together at intervals with several ties so that it dangled down her back from her head and was only moderately a potential liability in a fight and not a total liability. The girl entered with an attitude that was all business. This was important to her, learning how to defend herself and then immobilize an opponent. It was necessary if she wanted to ascend to the title of Sailor Moon. It was necessary to prove to her parents, her "aunts", to the palace at large and to the population of Crystal Tokyo and the world that she was worthy of the title and not just some pampered little princess on a lark. And it was necessary to prove to herself that her grasp was not too short of her reach._

_But her business-like attitude cracked slightly when she saw the Amazoness Quartet were there as well. Palla-Palla smiled like a sweet little cherub. Ves-Ves glared a sullen challenge to her. Jun-Jun took on a neutral stance, trying to avoid a fight without backing down from one. It was Cere-Cere who looked uncomfortable, distressed by the presence of The Princess. She turned away, averting her eyes. Usa glanced at Makoto and Minako, who were leading this practice session as they had led most of them._

_"We thought it would be a good idea to get you five used to working together," Makoto responded. "After all, the goal is to have you working as a team."_

_"And with this Puppet Master demon demonstrating that he can infiltrate the palace," Minako added, "the sooner you five are acting like a team, the better it'll be for everyone."_

_Usa wanted to scream. She wanted to stalk out. What she really wanted to do was tie these four skulking little monsters to a rocket and launch them into space. She must not have hid it very well, because she noticed Makoto and Minako brace for an explosion. Forcing herself to remember Helios, his words and his warning gave her the strength to calm herself._

_"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," Usa forced herself to say. _

_The tension in the room dropped. Usa noticed the grateful expression on Minako's face and the proud nod she got from Makoto. That helped ease her frustration a little._

_"OK, first exercise," Minako announced. "You five line up arms length apart. We're going to pipe some music in here. You're all going to follow the beat. One, three and five in line will step forward, then to the right, then back, then to the left. Two and four in line will do the opposite."_

_"This is stupid!" Ves announced._

_"This is to get you used to moving in concert with the others," Minako countered. "It's good training, so you don't end up stumbling over each other. Shows you how to adjust on the fly and compensate for the others on the team." She smirked smugly. "Unless you're afraid you're going to embarrass yourself."_

_"I can do it," huffed Ves. "But it's still stupid."_

_The exercise began. As Usa measured off with Palla-Palla, the girl gave her a huge smile. Usa let it roll off of her, determined to conquer the exercise. It seemed simple enough, and since it resembled a mathematical progression even Palla-Palla could comprehend it. What she and the others hadn't reckoned on was their differences in height. Usa and Cere were the tallest ones and they were on each end of the line. Right next to them were the two shortest ones of the group, Jun and Palla-Palla, and the differences in the length of their legs caused differences in their stride. Also, Palla-Palla was so intent on repeating the pattern that she wasn't watching out for either Usa or Ves. That meant they had to compensate for her. At one point Usa had to quickly stutter step to avoid Palla-Palla and nearly bumped into Ves. She had to concentrate on Helios to keep from exploding._

_And that caused her to run into Ves on the next swing. Usa tumbled to the floor, while Ves was brought to her knees._

_"Watch where your going, Your Highness!" Ves snapped._

_Usa didn't respond. She didn't trust herself._

_"OK, OK," Minako told Ves as she approached them. Then she knelt down so she was eye level with Palla-Palla. "Look, Palla-Palla, the point of this exercise is to be aware of the others, not just of what you're doing. You've got the steps down, but you're not watching out for Ves or Usa."_

_"Palla-Palla is sorry," the teen responded, her lower lip quivering._

_"Sure, jump her!" Ves snarled. "Anything to protect the little Princess!"_

_"Stand down, Ves," Minako warned, rising to full height._

_"Stand me down!" Ves replied, eyes blazing._

_Jun waited for Cere to say something. When she didn't, Jun stepped in._

_"Take it easy, Ves," Jun pulled on her. "This isn't the time."_

_"Get off me!" snapped Ves, shrugging Jun's hand off. "I've had it with this and I've had it with sucking up to some snooty princess! Send me back to Brasilia! Send me to the moon! I don't give a damn!"_

_Usa watched as Ves stalked out of the gym. Palla-Palla frantically scurried after her. Minako silently did a slow burn. And Usa did nothing. Gently Makoto eased up next to the girl._

_"You know," Makoto said softly to the teen, "a leader leads. She doesn't just stand there and watch her team disintegrate in front of her eyes." She turned to the others. "OK, we'll practice our tumbling. Over to the mats."_

_As Makoto moved away to herd the others, Usa stood there and digested what her Aunt had said._

Continued in Chapter 9


	9. What Is Courage?

THEN AND NOW  
Chapter 9: "What Is Courage?"  
A Neo-Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

* * *

_Ves had no sooner hit the quarters she shared with the other former members of the Amazoness Quartet than she lashed out at a nearby chair with her foot. The chair was propelled across the room and slammed into the wall, toppling over. The action did little to relieve the anger she felt, so she looked for something else to kick._

_The door whisked open. Ves looked and found Palla-Palla there._

"_Ves-Ves?" the teen asked anxiously. _

"_Forget it!" Ves rumbled. "I'm done with it! Done with all of it!"_

"_Maybe not," Palla-Palla began. "Maybe if Ves-Ves said she was sorry . . ."_

"_I'm not saying I'm sorry!" snapped Ves. "I'm out of here, Stupid!"_

_Palla-Palla's lip began to quiver. "But Ves-Ves, Palla-Palla doesn't want to leave! Palla-Palla wants to stay with the nice Queen! She doesn't want to go back to the orphanage! And she doesn't want to go back to mean old Granny Zirconia and mean old Queen Nehelenia! She wants to stay here!"_

"_Then stay here! Nobody's stopping you! But I'm out of here!"_

_Tears began to flow from the blue-haired teen's eyes. "But Ves-Ves, YOU PROMISED!"_

_Ves turned away._

"_YOU PROMISED YOU WERE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF PALLA-PALLA BECAUSE SHE CAN'T TAKE CARE OF HERSELF! YOU PROMISED! YOU PROMISED!"_

"_Things change," grunted the girl._

"_BUT YOU PROMISED!" Palla-Palla wailed hysterically. Ves grabbed hold of the girl's shoulders._

"_Look!" Ves shouted. "This isn't going to work! I can't be what they want me to be, no matter how much training they give me and how many powers! And neither can you! I've just got the brains to realize it!"_

"_YES, PALLA-PALLA IS STUPID!" cried the girl, tears streaming down her face. "PALLA-PALLA CAN'T HELP IT, BUT THAT'S WHAT SHE IS! BUT AT LEAST SHE'S NOT A FIBBER!"_

"_I'm just telling you the way it is!" Ves shot back angrily. "You want to come, I'll take care of you like I said! You want to stay here, you stay here on your own!"_

"_FIBBER! FIBBER! FIBBER!" Palla-Palla screamed. Then she turned and ran out of the quarters. Ves let her go._

_Then she picked up a computer station and hurled it against the nearest wall._

_In their quarters, King Endymion and Queen Serenity were reviewing the day's events with Luna and Artemis. Dinner was finished (Usa, as usual, had eaten elsewhere) and everything was calm._

"_Guest Palla-Palla desires entry," the environmental control computer suddenly announced. It was punctuated by frantic pounding on the door._

"_Goodness, yes! Let her in!" Serenity gasped in alarm. _

_The door opened. A crying, hysterical Palla-Palla flew into the room straight for Queen Serenity. Endymion and the cats both crouched for action, but the teen fell into Serenity's arms and buried her face in the Queen's chest._

"_Palla-Palla, honey, what is it?" Serenity asked._

"_MAKE HER STAY, USAGI-MAMA! MAKE HER STAY!" wailed Palla-Palla._

"_Make who stay?"_

"_VES-VES IS GOING TO LEAVE!" Palla-Palla cried. "SHE PROMISED SHE WAS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF PALLA-PALLA BECAUSE PALLA-PALLA CAN'T TAKE CARE OF HERSELF! BUT NOW SHE'S GOING TO LEAVE! PLEASE MAKE HER STAY, USAGI-MAMA! PLEASE!"_

"_Shh, calm down, Palla-Palla," Serenity said, struggling to quiet the teen. "Why would Ves-Ves leave?"_

"_BECAUSE THE PRINCESS DOESN'T LIKE HER AND SHE DOESN'T LIKE THE PRINCESS AND SHE DOESN'T LIKE PALLA-PALLA ANYMORE AND SHE'S GOING TO LEAVE MAKE HER STAY MAKE HER STAY PLEASE MAKE HER STAY!"_

_Serenity pressed her hand to Palla-Palla's forehead. The hand momentarily glowed silver. Palla-Palla quickly drifted off to sleep._

"_Gracious!" Luna gasped indignantly. "Small Lady didn't act that poorly when she was two years old!"_

"_Luna, hush," Serenity replied curtly. The Queen was visibly upset._

"_Did you put her to sleep?" Endymion asked._

"_Yes. I was afraid she was going to have a breakdown." Almost moved to tears herself, Serenity took a moment to continue. "Maybe Small Lady was right. Maybe this was a bad idea. I was so sure that they could all find common ground with her and they could be the friends she's so desperately needed for so long. But all I seem to have done is make things worse."_

"_Serenity, it WAS a good idea," Endymion assured her. "I would have spoken up if I thought otherwise. Now we both know from centuries of experience that uniting former enemies in friendship doesn't happen immediately. Sometimes it takes years. Sometimes it doesn't happen at all. But the effort is never a bad idea."_

"_If you ask me," Luna added, "if there was an error in judgment here, it was in trying to force these girls together in the first place. We all know how stubborn the Princess can be when she sets her mind to doing something - - or in this case NOT doing something. And perhaps too much responsibility was heaped upon these foreign girls too rapidly. In retrospect, it would have been better to gradually ease them together and let them break down their barriers themselves. But what's done is done. You can put an end to this experiment now, or you can see it through. The result of seeing it through could be quite the trauma, or a wondrous success. Personally, I would end it now. But the choice is up to you and the King, Your Majesty."_

_Serenity cradled the sleeping Palla-Palla against her. _

"_I think you should continue," Endymion offered. "Call it an act of faith: Faith in our daughter to choose the correct action, faith in these four girls to find their way out of darkness," and he smiled, "and faith in the success of your intuition."_

"_If you have faith in the plan, I'd be silly not to," Serenity said softly. "Contact Mina-Chan or Mako-chan. Let's find out what caused this latest blow up and see whether we can repair it."_

"_At once, Your Majesty," Luna nodded and headed out of the room._

"_And STOP calling me that," Serenity sighed. Luna merely flicked her tail as she left._

* * *

_By now combat training had disintegrated. Minako had lit out of the gym on a mission of her own after talking with Luna. Usa left in favor of working out on her own with a martial arts holographic program she'd found. Bowing to the inevitable, Makoto released Jun and Cere. Jun headed out to check on Ves. But when Makoto turned back, she found Cere lingering._

"_Something you wanted to ask me, Hon'?" Makoto said. One thing that remained constant over one thousand years was the look teens had when they wanted to ask something and weren't certain how to broach the subject._

"_Yeah," Cere began. But her venture died from an inability to breech the looming chasm still between her and the vaunted Sailor Senshi. _

"_Go ahead and ask," Makoto gently nudged. "I'm here to teach you. I'll answer any question you want to ask. You can even get personal if you need to."_

_Cere inhaled and expelled the breath. "How do you do it?" she asked, her eyes seeking the floor in embarrassment. "How do you face something knowing that it could kill you? Aren't you afraid?"_

_Makoto gestured them to a bench on the side of the gym. _

"_Sure I've been afraid," Makoto told the teen. "Anybody who goes into battle and isn't afraid is either a fool or has a death wish. I think some philosopher said that. Ami could probably say who. Everyone who stands up to face down evil is afraid of what could happen."_

"_Then how do you do it?" Cere asked again. "When I was with Nehelenia, we didn't think about dying. We didn't think anything could hurt us. The power of our orbs made us feel invincible. But I don't feel that now. I worry about what could happen to me if I take a stray shot or run up against someone stronger than me. Or if I'm asked to," and she swallowed nervously, "to die so the person I'm supposed to be guarding can live. I-I can't do it! I've got too much to live for!"_

_She felt Makoto's hand close over hers. Cere looked up at the tall, imposing woman and found a very gentle, very sympathetic expression on her face. _

"_We've all got a lot to live for," Makoto told her. "I've got friends and family that are dear to me. I have new experiences every day that I'd hate to miss. It's a beautiful world. And it's up to us to protect it. And someday that may mean giving up my life and everything I love about it to make sure that world continues. And there are certain people that are so dear to me that I'd rather die myself than see them taken from me. Life's precious to me. But there are things that are just as precious, and for me to let those precious things be taken from me just because I don't want to give up my life, well, it seems a little selfish. And if all of those other precious things are gone, maybe the life I did save wouldn't be worth as much as before."_

_Silently Cere digested this._

"_Here's a quote Ami told me once," Makoto continued. "I always thought it summed up the question best. 'Sometimes standing against evil is more important than defeating it. The greatest heroes stand because it is right to do so, not because they believe they will walk away with their lives. Such selfless courage is a victory in itself.*'"_

_Cere considered this. Was Princess Usagi really worth risking her life for? But what if it wasn't Princess Usagi that was threatened? What if it was Jun or Palla-Palla or even Ves? What if it was Queen Serenity? What if it was this modern society that she was so comfortable in or the works of art that were her secret love and passion? _

"_Courage isn't something you're born with," Makoto continued. "The natural response of a person is to protect and preserve their life. It's the way we're wired. Courage is setting aside that natural instinct to protect yourself, standing up and doing what's right. It's having the strength and conviction to do the right thing, especially when its easier to do wrong, or to just do nothing. And we both know what taking the easy way can do."_

"_Yeah," Cere murmured. Taking the easy way out had landed her where she was._

"_It may be hard at first," Makoto advised her. "But the more you do right, the more you face life's challenges and the more you take on what's out to get you, the easier it gets. Courage is contagious, just like fear is."_

_Cere got up from the bench. "Thanks," she said. "I'll think about that."_

"_All I can ask," Makoto said. "If you need to talk about anything else, just let me know."_

_Cere stopped. This caught Makoto by surprise._

"_What is it?" she asked._

"_My Mom used to say that," Cere said, emotion in her voice. "God, I miss her."_

"_I know just how you feel," Makoto smiled sadly._

* * *

_Ves sat in the middle of the room, the central room of the four bedroom quarters she shared with the other refugees from Queen Nehelenia. Most of the furnishings of the room were destroyed. Anything that had once belonged to Ves was now broken and her rampage had taken a good portion of the possessions of Cere and Jun as collateral damage. Palla-Palla's corner doll house, though, remained conspicuously untouched. Her anger dissipated, Ves sat in the middle of her wake of destruction and contemplated. _

_She couldn't leave. It wouldn't be loyal. Her concern wasn't loyalty to the Royal Family or their agents. In her mind, Ves owed them nothing. But she owed Jun and Cere and particularly Palla-Palla loyalty. They had befriended her in the orphanage when she had been separated from everyone who had meant anything to her. They had stuck by her, escaping the confines of the orphanage with her. They had looked out for her when they were serving under Nehelenia and Zirconia. And they had tried to look out for her here when her own temper had put her in a bad spot. Loyalty was something important to her. You didn't turn your back on someone who was loyal to you. It was against the code. It made you a punk if you did._

_The door hissed open and Ves was afraid it was Palla-Palla. If it was, she hoped the girl would give her a royal tongue-lashing to make up for what Ves had done to her. She hoped Palla-Palla would even hit her, but knew that wasn't Palla-Palla's style. But Ves saw it was Senshi Aino-Sama._

"_Been redecorating, I see," Minako quipped. "Love what you've done with the place."_

"_If you've come to talk me into staying," Ves began slowly._

"_No," Minako interrupted. "I came to find out which flight you're taking, so I can be there to wave good-bye." Ves glared. "Don't give me that look. I'm through talking to you. You got a second chance gift-wrapped and handed to you and you're too dumb to take it. Your loss. Go back to Brasilia and be Queen of the Yakuza or whatever they call it over there and be dead by the time you're twenty-two. Maybe the other Amazons will miss you. I've got better things to do."_

_Ves burned. She wanted to say something, to save face. She wanted to smack the contempt right off of Minako's face. But she couldn't. If she hadn't already blown it, that surely would. She had to endure, for them. That had been one of the traits of the girl ever since she was running the streets with Rudolfo, Sancha and Marcelino: She would endure any kind of pain to help her crew._

_And the ever-observant Minako Aino noticed._

"_Or did you change your mind?" Minako asked. The teen's surprised reaction confirmed it to her. "It can't be because you're suddenly enamored with palace life or the discipline of being a senshi." She looked at Ves and Ves wondered if she could read minds better than Palla-Palla. "It's them - - the other Amazons. You're doing it out of family concern. Out of loyalty."_

"_Don't try to hold it over me," Ves warned._

"_Well of course you'd think that way, considering who you last worked for," Minako surmised. She plopped down on the floor across from Ves so they were at eye level. "We don't work that way here. You want to stay out of loyalty to the others instead of Serenity and Endymion, that's fine. Good a reason as any." She smirked. "Hell, it's the first admirable trait I've seen in you since you got here. Up until now I thought you were just a selfish little thug."_

"_Thanks," grunted Ves._

"_Now I'm beginning to see a little of what Serenity saw in you," Minako continued. "Offer still stands. You put in the work and we'll make you into something that you can be proud of. And more importantly, you'll be something that Palla-Palla and Jun-Jun and Cere-Cere can be proud of. You might even change Usa's mind."_

"_Yeah," Ves responded, unimpressed. She thought a moment. "OK, I'm in. You're right, the others are important to me. And they all want to stay, so I guess I will, too." She thought a moment. "Don't know how you knew it, though."_

"_I recognized the signs," Minako told her. "Once upon a time, a thousand or so years ago, I met four girls who were worthy of my eternal loyalty. I know how important it is."_

"_A thousand years? How old are you?" Ves questioned._

"_How old do I look?" Minako asked with a cheshire grin._

"_I don't know. Forty."_

_Minako choked for a second. "Gee, you sure know how to hurt a girl."_

_Then the door hissed open. Ves and Minako glanced over and found Jun framed in the doorway, a look of absolute horror on her face._

"_WHAT DID YOU DO TO THIS PLACE?" she roared. "VES!"_

"_Who said it was me?" Ves protested. Minako covered her mouth to hide her smile._

* * *

Serenity and Endymion entered the shrine located inside the palace walls. When Rei wasn't immediately apparent in the outer room, Serenity used her heightened senses to lead her to her longtime friend. They found Rei sitting in a room, sitting on the floor cross-legged before a jade talisman. It was a figurine of a dragon. From her lotus position, Rei was mumbling prayers to the talisman, oblivious to the world around her. The room was tinted in an eerie green from the faint glow of the talisman.

After a moment, the Royal Couple noticed a person standing against the wall to Rei's right. After straining their eyes, they could see it was their daughter. Usa barely acknowledged their presence, so involved was she in what the priest was doing. Serenity started to speak, but Endymion cupped his hand over her mouth and gestured to Rei.

"Never mind, she already broke the trance," Rei sighed.

"Mom!" Usa scowled accusingly.

"I didn't know!" Serenity alibied. "What are you doing here anyway!"

"Aunt Rei's got a way to track down and stop that Puppet Master demon," Usa explained. "She was preparing the way to trap it - - until YOU butted in."

"Brat," Serenity muttered.

"So you know what we're up against now?" Endymion asked.

"Yes," Rei nodded. "You remember where the last one came from?"

"If I recall, you said it was an ancient demonic spirit that had been bound to a jade dragon statuette. The statuette had ended up in a curio shop on The Promenade and the seal had been accidentally erased."

"Yes, it was a demonic spirit that fed on fear and chaos," Rei further explained. "And what better way to sow fear and chaos than to take control of a person and have them randomly attack people."

"But I thought we destroyed that spirit," Serenity exclaimed.

"No, we only destroyed part of it," Rei told them. "Through my contact with it, I learned that the holy man who originally bound the demon split it in two pieces first. It was so powerful and destructive a demon that it was split and bound into two jade dragon statuettes as a precaution. That way, if one part of the demon escaped, it couldn't cause as much harm as the original demon obviously did in the past. I did some checking around the curio shop after my last encounter with it and discovered the twin statuette in a storage room."

"So when do we go after it?" Serenity asked.

"First I have to prepare this figurine to receive the demon again," Rei told her. "Then we need a plan of action. This demon isn't just going to walk up to us and let us destroy it. We still have to figure out a way that will draw the demon to us."

"Let me know when you're ready, Rei-Chan," Serenity said. "I'll get the others and we'll get a plan together. But don't take too long. I don't want this thing to hurt anyone else."

"Neither do I," Rei replied.

The priest went back to priming the figurine to trap the demon. Serenity and Endymion turned to leave, plans of action already forming in their heads. But Usa lingered. She stared at the jade figuring, her upper teeth absently biting into her lower lip.

"Neither do I," she thought.

Continued in Chapter 10

*quote from "Dandelion Fire" (Random House, 2009) by N. D. Wilson


	10. No One Gets Out Unscathed

THEN AND NOW  
Chapter 10: "No One Gets Out Unscathed"  
A Neo-Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

* * *

Cere lay in her infirmary bed, wondering what was to become of her. She was due to be released soon. Her back wound was healed, but she didn't feel recovered. She felt nervous and depressed. A sound made her jump. She looked to the sound, at the entrance to the room, and found it was only Dr. Mizuno.

"Forgive me for startling you," Ami said gently. "I just wanted to see how you were progressing."

"Wound's all healed," Cere mumbled. Then she noticed the critical stare on the doctor's face.

"I understand you haven't been sleeping well," Ami told her. "I've also noted a loss of appetite and an underlying anxiety to your mood. Then there's the news I've been hearing from some of the other girls that you're contemplating quitting the senshi."

"Might as well," Cere sighed. "I don't know how much good I'll be to them."

"Well, that's your choice," Ami commented. "Right now, I'm more concerned with the physical stress you're undergoing. You're showing classic symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome." She got a puzzled look from her patient. "When a person is subjected to a life-threatening situation, or sometimes repeated life-threatening situations, such as a soldier or law enforcement officer, the body is put in a prolonged state of adrenal arousal. This is the body's mechanism for preserving itself. The greater the trauma, the more likely that common occurrences which mimic one or more traits of the traumatic experience will trigger the adrenal rush. Sometimes just recalling the incident will trigger it. And if the adrenal arousal is triggered too often, it begins to negatively impact the mind and body. Sleep is affected. So is mood. So are other things. Eventually the victim can sink into psychological states that make living at best a chore and at worst impossible."

"So what do I do?" Cere asked.

"We find a way to calm you when these adrenal arousal states are unnecessarily triggered," Ami explained. "I've found that yoga and bio-feedback techniques work best for me."

"You?" Cere gaped.

"No one gets out unscathed," Ami said with grave seriousness. "I've been a senshi for a thousand years. I've died - - twice I'm told, though I only remember one of them." Ami paused. "It isn't pleasant to contemplate." Then she brightened. "But the rational mind can be taught to control the body's responses to emotional stimulation. Deep breathing will slow the heart and respiration and allow you to regain control over your response. Yoga teaches control of the body and allows the mind to find peace through concentration." She smiled melancholy. "Of course, the human mind is a diverse and complex organ and no single solution will fit every case. Makoto copes through physical exertion and doing for others. Rei uses meditation and calligraphy. Minako, unfortunately, seems to use narcissism and indiscriminate sexual encounters. It seems to work for her, but I wouldn't recommend it."

"Bio-feedback, huh? I'll try it," Cere whispered. "It has to be better than this. I feel so cowardly - - disloyal. Like I'm letting the others down. I hate myself for feeling this way, but I just can't overcome the fear! I thought I'd beaten it three years ago . . .!"

"Deep breaths," Ami told her and Cere complied. "These feelings are an off-shoot of the condition. You're psychologically unable to do something you feel is important and are overwhelmed by guilt and recrimination. When you realize that this is a normal human reaction to the instinctual fear of death and the desire for self-preservation, you can begin to cope with these feelings and to channel them productively."

"I am feeling a little better," Cere said between breaths. "Maybe this will work."

"Maybe it will," Am offered. "And if it doesn't, we'll try something else. And we'll keep trying until we find something that works. But no matter what, please don't keep your feelings about what you've gone through bottled up. That can have an adverse effect on your emotional and physical health as well. Talk out your fears with someone on my staff. They're all very qualified. Or with one of the elders. We've all gone through the same battles and the same hardships you've experienced, so we understand more than most. Or talk it out with your fellow senshi. No doubt they've experienced some of the same doubts and fears you've experienced. The key point is don't be afraid or ashamed to talk about it. Keeping it bottled up will only do you a great deal of harm in the long run."

* * *

_Training session the next day was a surprise for the Princess. After the dramatics of the previous day, she wasn't expecting to see Ves-Ves or Palla-Palla. But Ves was there, and beside her was Palla-Palla, smiling like all was now right with the world again. And, to her private amazement, Cere-Cere was still there, too. By her personal estimate, Usa had figured the little coward to have washed out by now._

_It was too bad. Usa was hoping this entire charade would be over by now. It was at that moment that Usa noticed Palla-Palla was looking at her with an intimidated frown, almost like she had just read Usa's mind._

"_OK, ladies, let's see if we can work together with a little more coordination today," Minako piped up. "Ves-Ves, I want you to switch with Jun-Jun for this one."_

"_But Palla-Palla wants to be next to Ves-Ves!" whined Palla-Palla._

"_Well, I guess we don't always get what we want," Minako smiled sweetly. Makoto covered her mouth to hide the grin._

_The exercise began. As before, short Palla-Palla was having trouble matching strides with the willowy Princess. To complicate matters, Jun, who was just as short, was having the same troubles. As Usa moved to avoid Palla-Palla, she stepped into Jun's path and the two locked ankles. Both girls spilled to the mat. In frustration, Usa smacked the mat with her flat hand._

"_Sorry," Jun offered._

"_I'll bet," muttered the Princess._

"_Hey, I said I was sorry!" bristled Jun._

"_Aunt Minako, this is not going to work!" Usa fumed, pulling herself to her feet. "I don't know if they're intentionally throwing this or they're just clumsy . . .!"_

"_Hey, you're the one who stepped in my path!" Jun protested. "Try working with us!"_

"_I am Sailor Moon," Usa proclaimed. "I am the lead. YOU are the ones supporting and protecting ME!"_

"_She's right," Makoto stated._

"_Well maybe I could follow your lead if I knew where you were going!" Jun shot back._

"_She's got a point," Makoto added._

"_And who says you're Sailor Moon anyway?" Jun barked. "Because your mommy handed it to you on a silver tray?"_

"_Nobody handed me anything!" Usa rumbled. "You're the ones who got handed special powers - - TWICE! All anybody has ever done is hold me back!"_

"_Maybe it's because you can't do the job!" Jun shouted._

"_I beat you four!" Usa shouted back._

"_Didn't we help?" Minako asked Makoto._

"_I did. I don't know about you, Blondie," Makoto smirked. Then she shoved between the two girls. "OK, that's the bell. Return to your neutral corners."_

"_Actually this isn't a bad idea," Minako suggested. "You four think you can take her?"_

"_Piece of cake," sneered Ves with a confident grin. Jun just glared._

"_Without killing her?" Minako added._

"_Well if you're going to take the fun out of it," Ves shrugged._

"_How about you, Usa? Think you can take them all by yourself?"_

"_If I'm going to be Sailor Moon, I may have to," Usa replied with deadly earnest. "It'll be a good learning experience."_

"_Great! Vesta Star Power Make Up!" Ves shouted, transforming into Sailor Vesta._

"_Hey, hey, nobody said anything about powers!" Makoto shouted._

"_It's OK, Aunt Makoto," Usa told her. "Let them use their powers. It's the only way they'll have a chance." She raised her hand. "Moon Crystal Power Make Up!" Makoto looked at Minako questioningly. Minako gave her a silent nod._

_With everyone transformed, Sailor Moon crouched in anticipation of an attack. Ceres and Pallas hung back, while Vesta and Juno slowly stalked her from both sides. Vesta in particular had a confident grin on her face._

"_Let's get this over with," she snickered. "Fauna Assimilation, Gorilla!"_

_Vesta's shoulders, thighs and arms began to thicken. Her posture stooped as her arms elongated until she was resting on her knuckles. Then like a shot she was on Sailor Moon, clutching for her with inhumanly large hands. But Sailor Moon reacted quickly, ducking under the grasp of Vesta and lunging in rather than back as the girl had expected. She jammed her wand near Vesta's face._

"_Pink Sugar Heart Attack!" called Sailor Moon. The pink sparks exploded into Vesta's face, and the gorilla girl flinched back. It was then that Sailor Moon drove her foot deep into Vesta's middle, robbing her of breath. After that, a spinning roundhouse kick connected with Vesta's head and knocked the massive girl to the floor._

"_Aqua Initiation!" Juno cried. A jet stream of water from the wall fountain shot across the room and struck Sailor Moon in the face. But as Juno moved in, she was surprised to see Sailor Moon spin away, increasing the distance between them and taking her out of the stream's path. Juno directed the water to follow her. Sailor Moon crouched upon landing and pulled the tiara from her head. Throwing it at Juno, even without invoking the power phrase. still made it a missile that impacted with Juno's shins as she started forward and sent the girl tumbling to the floor. Juno started to get up, but Sailor Moon drove her knee into Juno's back and then bent her arm up between her shoulder blades._

"_Beautiful Incantation!" Pallas cried anxiously, more to protect Juno than to attack Sailor Moon. _

_Juno struggled beneath her to get loose. Sailor Moon heard Pallas invoke her power and knew she had to move. And in the corner of her eye, she saw Vesta the gorilla girl rising up to attack again. Pushing herself to one side, Sailor Moon somersaulted on the mat away from the line of fire. Pallas's telekinetic blast struck Vesta square on and bowled the girl over like a bowling pin. Sailor Moon pivoted on the mat and charged Sailor Pallas, her twin pink tails of hair streaking behind her. She brought up her Cutie Moon Rod, but held back when Pallas cringed in fear. That didn't stop her from side-stepping Juno's charge, grabbing the girl and flipping her over her hip. Juno landed with a sharp smack on the mat._

_That's when Sailor Moon noticed the seeds on the floor._

"_Floral Stimulation," she heard Ceres say. Sailor Moon tried to move, but one of the vines caught her ankle and halted her flight. In seconds Sailor Moon found herself kneeling on the mat, thin tensile vines criss-crossing her body, trapping her limbs and holding her fast. Sailor Moon strained to slip the grip of the vines or to reach her Cutie Moon Rod around to defend herself, but she couldn't move._

"_OK, we'll call that a win for the senshi," Makoto proclaimed. Ceres and Pallas relaxed. Vesta scowled in disappointment, because she hadn't gotten another shot, while Juno smirked in triumph. _

"_I'm not beaten!" Sailor Moon bellowed and continued to fight within the grip of the vines._

"_For the purposes of this exercise, you are," Minako told her, then signaled Ceres to release her. "OK, did anybody learn anything from this?"_

"_Yeah, now I know why they call her 'The Little Rabbit'," grumped Vesta._

"_Don't sneer," Makoto advised her. "Rabbits survive by being quicker and smarter than bigger opponents. Size and strength isn't everything. Anything else?"_

_Everyone remained silent._

"_Come on, you five aren't that stupid!" Minako prodded them._

"_It was a lucky break," Sailor Moon grumbled. "She only got me because I was too busy dodging the other three."_

"_Well, yeah," Makoto nodded. Then she turned to the four senshi. "But it didn't have to be a lucky break. Sailor Moon was more experienced, faster and better equipped to defend herself that you four. But you beat her, and if you had coordinated your attack and worked together, you probably could have beaten her even faster." The others contemplated this while Sailor Moon looked downcast. "Don't take it so hard, Hon'. You've got some nifty moves."_

"_And more guts than a burglar," chuckled Minako._

"_You took on four opponents with stronger abilities than you and almost won," Makoto continued. "You're a lot further along than we all thought you were."_

"_Yeah," Ceres offered timidly. "I guess you did show us you earned that name instead of it being handed to you."_

"_And just think how tough you'll be with these four working with you instead of against you," Minako added pointedly. She turned to the group. "OK, hit the showers! You all smell!"_

_The four Amazons headed for their quarters, while Usa moved for hers. As they went, Usa and Cere passed near each other._

"_Good move," Usa said neutrally and kept walking. Cere paused and turned, wondering if the Princess had actually meant it or if she was just being diplomatic._

* * *

"_Hey, what's eating you, Stupid?"_

_The four trainees were back in their quarters, newly repaired after Ves's last rampage. Ves had noticed Palla-Palla's thoughtful expression._

"_The Princess doesn't like us," Palla-Palla replied glumly. "Palla-Palla heard it with her head. The Princess wishes we were gone."_

"_Wow, there's a news flash," grunted Ves._

"_Well it's not like she actually needs us," Jun shrugged, sitting lotus-style on a chair. "She whipped our butts pretty good."_

"_It was my fault for going big," Ves scowled. "I should have gone with a predator cat - - a tiger or cheetah or something."_

"_We were trying to restrain her, Ves, not kill her," Jun sighed._

"_I wouldn't have killed her," Ves protested. "Roughed her up a little. Take some of that snooty attitude out of her."_

"_She is pretty tough to get close to," Jun acknowledged. "I get she's got a grudge against us for what we did, but we are trying!"_

"_Maybe if we gave her a tea party and had cake and ice cream . . ." Palla-Palla began._

"_Don't think. You'll hurt yourself," Cere sighed. Palla-Palla stuck her tongue out at the girl._

"_Well, you come up with an idea!" Jun fumed._

_Cere thought. "OK. The Princess doesn't like us because she thinks we're still bad guys. Maybe it's more. Maybe she doesn't think she NEEDS us, either."_

"_Yeah," Jun nodded. "I was watching the surveillance vid of when she took on that guy in that shop with the knife. And you saw the way she was against us."_

"_It's like she's trying to prove herself," Cere continued. "Remember what she said in the gym - - all anyone has done is hold her back. She doesn't want us around because she thinks it means she can't do the job."_

"_But Palla-Palla doesn't want to go!" whined Palla-Palla._

"_We don't have to go," Cere said. "What we have to do is prove to her that she does need us."_

"_So how do we do that?" Ves asked._

"_We need to know what she's planning," Jun thought out loud. "Palla-Palla, you think you can probe the Princess's mind and find out if she's up to something?"_

"_Palla-Palla can try," the girl said timidly. "But it doesn't always work when Palla-Palla tries to hear someone's thoughts."_

"_Chance we'll have to take," Cere said. "At tomorrow's training session, you try to read her and see if she's got anything planned as Sailor Moon."_

_Palla-Palla nodded resolutely. The other three looked at each other and smiled._

* * *

It was night in the palace. Everyone was asleep except for Luna and the evening security teams. And Luna was currently in the security monitor room telling the teams how to do their jobs for the third time that month. In the shrine inside the palace, Rei was in bed, asleep.

Or at least that's what the silent figure slithering into the shrine hoped. The interior of the shrine was pitch black, but it didn't seem to stop the interloper. The dark figure picked through the shrine like its layout was memorized. With the silent skill of a legendary ninja of old, the figure moved soundlessly from the front room of the shrine to one of the back rooms. As the pneumatic door slid open, the figure paused for a moment to listen for whether the sound of the door had disturbed Rei's sleep. Hearing nothing, the figure entered the room.

The room was sparsely decorated. In the center of the room was an ancient altar made of cherry wood. Sitting on the altar was the jade dragon statuette that Rei had been preparing earlier for use against the Puppet Master demon. Again making no noise, the figure swiftly crossed the room to the alter and scooped up the statuette.

"Lights," came Rei's voice in the darkness. The environmental control computer obeyed and the room flooded with light. The figure gave a startled cry of pain and pulled the night vision lenses from her face. "OK, you want to explain yourself?"

Usa looked at the stern expression on her treasured aunt's face. Her mouth thinned with frustration and chagrin.

Continued in Chapter 11


	11. Get Busy With The Plots And Plans

THEN AND NOW  
Chapter 11: "Get Busy With The Plots and Plans"  
A Neo-Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

* * *

_The guard at the gate nodded to Princess Usagi Small Lady and smiled as she exited the palace grounds. She returned the smile. So did the two CDP officers escorting her. Those were the terms Usa had lived her life under since she was twelve and actually allowed out of the palace without one of her parents. Two undercover CDP officers had to be with her at all times, for the Queen worried about her safety and the King REALLY worried about her safety. And though Crystal Tokyo was the safest, most harmonious place in the world, it wasn't completely safe. _

_As they headed for The Promenade, airborne security drones would observe her, dropping coverage when she left their patrol zone. Coverage would be picked up by the drone in the next security area. Usa tried to ignore their presence, but it was always in the back of her mind that her father could be watching at any moment. For the past year she had taken to wearing shorter skirts and more revealing tops, just because she knew he might be watching and she knew how it would affect his sense of propriety._

_Casually, she entered a restaurant with her two guardians. The three sat down and had a meal while the Princess outlined her itinerary for the afternoon. The guards knew she resented their presence, but were grateful that she was pleasant about it. After a huge lunch topped off by a gigantic bowl of ice cream, inviting comparisons to her mother's legendary appetite, the Princess excused herself for a trip to the restroom. The female security officer accompanied her as procedure dictated._

_Once inside, though, the CDP officer was confronted by a panicked older woman who burst through the door in a frantic state._

"_Help me!" the woman cried. "My chest feels tight! I-I think I'm . . .!" And then she fainted there on the restroom floor._

"_Go get your partner!" Usa barked. "I think she's having a heart attack! I'll try to keep her stable! Get a medical unit here!"_

"_Yes, Princess!" the officer nodded, used to obeying authority in a crisis. She ran out the door. Usa smiled. Then she switched off the miniaturized holographic projector that she had modified on her own in her room. She was going to have to thank her Aunt Ami for the instructional files the doctor had innocently recommended to her._

_Working quickly, Usa pulled out the black wig and dark visor she had in her purse and put them on. Using the magnetic key that changed the refractory properties of her designer outfit, altering the color of her top from pink to light blue and the color of her skirt from white to black, Usa bowed her head and slid past the two CDP officers_ _and out the back door while they looked for both the stricken woman and for their charge. She was going to have to thank her Aunt Minako for the disguise tips the actress had innocently recommended to her._

_Returning to the busy Promenade, Usa blended into the crowd, confident that the observation drones wouldn't recognize her. Her mission was simple: She had learned from her mom that Rei had determined that the Puppet Master demon was most likely to strike in crowds during the day and was attracted by fear. In order to lure it to her, she was surreptitiously (she hoped) setting up several harmless smoke bombs around a perimeter of The Promenade. They would make a loud noise and billow smoke, but were otherwise harmless. In the confusion and rising panic, the demon would appear. She would confront it and take it out, using the power of her pink crystal. Then everyone would be safe._

_And her parents would have to acknowledge her ability as Sailor Moon. But as she placed the last smoke bomb, she felt a presence behind her. The girl whirled around, ready to transform into Sailor Moon if it was a threat._

"_What are YOU FOUR doing here?" Usa gasped. Behind her, concealed in an alley, were the four former Amazoness Quartet._

"_We figured you might need us," Jun replied, curious about the Princess's behavior._

"_What's with the disguise and all the smoke bombs?" Ves asked. "Didn't figure a goody two-shoes Princess would be into pranks."_

"_How did you find me?" Usa demanded. Ves tapped Palla-Palla._

"_She sensed your thoughts," Ves smiled wickedly._

"_Well get out of sight before one of the observation drones spot you!" Usa hissed._

"_We're not that inept," Jun replied. "So what's the plan?"_

"_Why?" Usa asked suspiciously._

"_So we can help you!" Jun huffed._

"_Who says I need your help," Usa scowled. "Just stay out of my way."_

_Turning on the trainee senshi, Usa headed out into the milling crowd of The Promenade. Three of the four looked at each other questioningly, then turned as they always had to Cere._

"_Let her make her play," Cere sighed in frustration. "But keep your eyes open and be ready to transform in case she's in over her head."_

"_Shouldn't we call The Queen and tell her?" Palla-Palla asked._

"_We're trying to get on her good side," Cere replied. "I don't think that would do it."_

_When she was far enough away from the smoke bombs, Usa pressed a button on a miniature remote and detonated them in sequences of three. The loud noise and the billowing smoke made the crowd react precisely as she anticipated. The added noise of observation drones swooping in and initiating their alarm claxons further agitated the crowd. Ves and Jun stayed in the alley and scanned the crowd. Cere, meanwhile, kept her eyes locked on Usa the entire time. She could see the girl was concentrating, as if she was trying to sense something that couldn't be picked up by regular senses. Just then, Ves felt a tug on her shirt. Turning, she found Palla-Palla in a mild trance._

"_You sense something, Stupid?" Ves asked._

"_Bad thoughts," Palla-Palla replied anxiously. "Not a people."_

"_Where?" Ves demanded. Palla-Palla pointed into the air. "PRINCESS! THIRTY METERS ABOVE YOU! ON YOUR RIGHT AND JUST BEHIND!"_

_As she turned, Usa's hand went into the air. Her transformation into Sailor Moon was instantaneous. She squinted for a second. Then a warp formed in front of her chest. As the trainee senshi watched in amazement, a glowing pink jewel emerged from the warp and levitated between her two cupped hands._

"_The bad thoughts are making people be mean!" screeched Palla-Palla. Alerted, the trainees spotted a man bend down and rip loose a bannister from The Promenade area. He swung the bannister like a club, knocking a woman to the pavement, then charged Sailor Moon menacingly._

"_Transform!" Jun shouted. In seconds the four trainees were in their senshi identities. With the sound of CDP sirens blaring in the distance, Juno pointed at the decorative fountain in the center of the square. "Aqua Initiation!"_

_The water shot out with tremendous force, striking the possessed attacker in the back and knocking him to the pavement before he could reach Sailor Moon. Instantly another person in the Promenade pulled up a decorative stone as a weapon. Using the spray from the top of the fountain, Juno turned the drops into projectiles and fired them at the second attacker. However, he proved faster than her aim._

"_Floral Stimulation!" Ceres called out. A decorative tree in the Promenade suddenly extended its limbs down and plucked the possessed citizen off of his feet, hauling him up into the air where he dangled helplessly. But as before, the moment an attacker was immobilized, another person seemed to fall under the spell and try to attack Neo-Sailor Moon._

"_Fauna Assimilation, Cheetah!" Vesta yelled as she charged the latest possessed attacker. Her speed increased dramatically. She cut the distance between the woman in seconds, then leaped up onto the attacker with a prodigious lunge and slammed her to the pavement. Claws sprouted from the fingers of one hand and Vesta was about to slash her victim. But she remembered herself, retracted them, and just punched the woman into unconsciousness. As before, another woman fell under the corrupting spell._

"_Beautiful Incantation!" called out Sailor Pallas. Using her telekinesis, Pallas seized the clothing of the attacker, tore them from the woman's body and shredded them into strips. Then she wound the strips around the woman's frame, trapping her arms and legs tightly and mentally tied the strips in knots. As the woman fell over helplessly, Pallas giggled like a naughty child._

_While all this went on, Sailor Moon raised her crystal up at the demon she could only sense and focused her will through the gem. Pink energy radiated out from the crystal. Sailor Moon felt the strain of using her crystal in this manner, but she could also feel the Puppet Master demon recoil from its healing energies. It was tugging at the energies, trying to flee before the pink energy dissipated it. Sailor Moon bore down, determined to destroy the entity that was causing so much pain and fear among the population and prove herself a worthy successor to her mother's legacy._

_But the longer it took, the more discomfort she felt. And the longer it took, the more frustration she felt. Doubt began to creep into her mind and the doubt and frustration mixed into anger. The angrier she got, the more she felt her pink energy fade. The more it faded, the more it fed her anger and frustration. Finally she felt the demon pull free of her pink energy and disappear to wherever it hid. Sailor Moon dropped her arms to her sides and the crystal returned to its warp._

"_Princess?" a CDP officer ventured, approaching quickly from an air car. "Are you all right? What happened here?"_

_Sailor Moon didn't reply. As her senshi looked on, she just bowed her head and balled her hands into fists of frustration at her sides._

* * *

Rei glared at Usa, caught red-handed trying to pilfer the jade statuette from Rei's shrine, and waited for an explanation. For her part, the priest's no-nonsense stare sent chills down the teen's spine, just as it always had ever since that day when she was five. She'd broken something in the shrine and then lied to Rei about it to cover her tracks, not realizing that Rei could read that the little girl was lying. The item, Rei had told her, was inconsequential and could be replaced. The fact that Small Lady had dared lie to anyone and to her of all people was the real crime, a fact Rei drove home with the only spanking the little Princess had ever endured. Rei was the "aunt" Usa always respected the most, but she was also the only aunt who could inspire fear in her.

"Well?" Rei prodded.

Usa sighed in defeat. "I was going to use the jade dragon to attract the Puppet Master demon," she confessed reluctantly. Rei let out an audible sigh of frustration.

"And just how were you planning on invoking its spiritual power?" Rei asked wearily.

"Um, my crystal?"

"And if that didn't work?"

"I'd use the Moon Tier?"

"Muffin," Rei sighed.

"Well, Aunt Rei, you and the other senshi and Mom were all going to go out there and confront it!" Usa exclaimed. "And I remember how much of a strain it was for Mom last time! But you and I both know she won't listen to anyone telling her to sit this one out - - especially me!" She scowled and looked down. "So I was going to take it on myself. After all, I am Sailor Moon. I'm the one who should be taking the risks, not her."

"Muffin," Rei began with a sad smile, her hand cupping the teen under the chin, "you are easily one of the more brilliant minds I've encountered in the thousand years I've been on this planet. And yet, you do some of the dumbest things." Usa frowned, stung. "You were going to take on this demon, who happens to be stronger than the previous one, by yourself when Serenity needed the help of a veteran priest, three veteran senshi and Endymion?"

"OK, you made your point!" Usa groused. Rei could feel the teen's humiliation radiate off of her in waves.

"Your heart was in the right place, Muffin," Rei consoled her. "It usually is. But sometimes you let it override that great big brain of yours. I'm the professional here. If anybody has a chance against this thing, it's me."

"But Aunt Rei, you can't take on that thing by yourself!"

"I wasn't planning on it," Rei replied. Then she sobered. "But you're right, it will be a strain on Serenity."

"Then let me take her place!" Usa pleaded. "I can do it!"

"Well, we can't use the same plan if you sub for Serenity," Rei speculated.

"Then I'll think of a new plan," Usa told her. "We can tailor it for my senshi. We've got a good rapport. We can make it work, Aunt Rei!"

"We've got a good rapport." Rei turned the sentence over in her mind. Had it only been three years ago?

* * *

_Usa was in a conference room. In front of her were her parents, flanked by Luna and Diana. Behind her were the four girls being forced upon her as senshi. The teen stood in the center of the room, waiting for her parents' reaction to what had transpired in The Promenade. Her mother seemed sad and disappointed and Usa knew she was in for another round of guilt. That was bad enough. But one look at her father told her she really wasn't going to like what was coming._

"_Did I," Endymion began, straining to rein in his anger, "or did I not tell you not to go out as Sailor Moon again until we decided you were ready?"_

"_Pop, I . . ." she began._

"_Did I or did I not tell you not to go out as Sailor Moon again until we decided you were ready?"_ _Endymion repeated, his control slipping. _

"_You did," the girl sighed._

"_So in accordance with those wishes, you sneaked away from your security team, staged an incident in the business district that threatened the physical and psychological well-being of innocent citizens, put them at risk, put your senshi at risk, put yourself at risk," Endymion continued, "all so you could prove a point."_

"_Endymion," Serenity began._

"_Pop, that demon is a menace to everyone!" Usa argued. "Somebody's got to do something about it!"_

"_We're working on a solution, Usa."_

"_And while you work on it, people are getting hurt!"_

"_So just what did you accomplish?" Endymion asked her. "Nine innocent civilians are under medical care now because they were either injured by a possessed person or they were injured being neutralized by your senshi or CDP officers. The general populace is even more frightened now than they were before. You came perilously close to overextending yourself by using your crystal to do too much too fast. AND the demon got away." Endymion shook his head. "Honestly, Usa, I thought you had more sense than this."_

_Usa didn't reply. She just silently burned with the humiliation of her failure._

"_You're confined to your room until further notice," Endymion murmured, no longer having any stomach for the proceedings._

_The girl who would be Sailor Moon turned and walked - - she didn't run - - from the room, headed for her room. She walked past the Amazoness Quartet and received sympathetic looks that she didn't notice. The door hissed closed behind her._

"_You did what you had to do, Your Majesty," Luna told him._

"_Doesn't mean I have to like it," Endymion sighed. Serenity stroked his temple. "I actually admire her ingenuity and initiative. But somewhere we failed to instill a respect for rules in her." Pulling himself from his reverie, Endymion focused on the other four teens. "Your actions today were exemplary. You took the initiative to protect my daughter, which is your mission, and despite your lack of training and your lack of familiarity with your powers, protected her life and the safety of the general population with courage and honor. You have our thanks. And I'm now more confident than ever that my wife made the right choice."_

_Three of the four girls nodded and murmured thanks, while Palla-Palla beamed happily. After they left, Serenity spoke up._

"_We have to do something about that demon," she exclaimed. "Maybe Usa wasn't entirely wrong."_

"_Your Majesty," Luna began with irritation._

"_I'm not saying the way she did it was right," Serenity persisted. "But maybe she's right about forcing it out and dealing with it before it hurts anyone else."_

_Endymion considered for a moment. "Let's consult with Rei and Ami and the others," he said. "Maybe we all can hash out a plan that can actually work."_

* * *

"So what do you think?" Usa asked.

Rei looked over the expectant faces of the six teens. Usa, of course, desperately wanted her to agree to the plan she'd presented. Rei could also read the emotions of the others: loyalty to her friend in Hotaru, dedication to her mission in Jun, anticipation of a challenge in Ves, loyalty to Ves in Palla-Palla. To her surprise, even Cere was ready to do this, out of a desire to protect everyone from evil - - and out of a personal score to settle with the demon who nearly did her in.

She had to admit it was a good plan. Usa's ability as a tactician was beginning to rival Ami's, and at a younger age. Of course, even the best plan went wrong sometimes. And that was the priest's fear: exposing her favorite person in the whole world to danger. She saw the need to succeed in Usa. The girl kept quiet, not wanting to push for a decision and determined not to be petulant and disappointed if it didn't go her way. But she wanted it so badly; another chance to prove herself as Sailor Moon, another chance to at least keep pace with her mother's looming reputation.

"How can I say no?" Rei responded. The thrill in Usa's eyes was enough to mollify the priest's concerns for now.

* * *

"_Did you hear that?" Ves crowed as the four former Amazons walked down the corridor. "We aced our first test!"_

"_Don't know why you're so surprised," Jun grinned. "The Princess may have the moves, but WE'RE the team."_

"_Wish we'd gotten that demon, though," Cere mused. "Still, I have to admit it was exciting."_

_Jun and Ves gave her a knowing grin. Even Palla-Palla seemed to realize what was happening._

"_Are you finally coming around?" Jun asked._

_Cere blushed. "I suppose there's worse things I could do. My powers are pretty cool. And Queen Serenity showed so much faith in us, I really don't want to let her down." She smirked back at them. "And somebody has to keep you two out of trouble."_

"_As if you could," snorted Ves._

_With that, Palla-Palla began skipping down the hall. As she moved, she began singing "We are the sen-shi! Phooey on the or-phan-age! We are the sen-shi! Phooey on Zir-co-ni-ah!"_

_Jun started laughing. Ves grinned as well._

"_Baby," muttered Cere, shaking her head. But she couldn't quite smother the grin on her face._

Concluded in Chapter 12


	12. As A Team

THEN AND NOW  
Chapter 12: "As A Team"  
A Neo-Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

* * *

_Three years ago: The tension in the room was thick. On one side was Princess Usagi. She was openly ignoring the four would-be senshi, the former Amazoness Quartet, on the other side of the small conference room. But at least she wasn't openly glaring at them or criticizing them, so everyone considered it a step up from where relations had been._

_At the head of the room was King Endymion, Queen Serenity, the elder senshi and the two eldest cats. Diana rested at Usa's feet. This contributed to the tense atmosphere as well, for more than one of the trainees were worried that the "Grand Experiment" was about to come to an end. As usually happened in these meetings, Minako stepped to the front, in full "drill sergeant" mode._

"_OK, listen up," she said in a tone meant to be obeyed. "We have devised a way to summon the Puppet Master demon. We will be reconvening in The Promenade shortly. There we will act to kill or at least contain this thing before anybody else gets hurt."_

"_By 'we'," Usa interjected tenuously, "does that include me?"_

"_Yeah, it includes you," Minako replied. "This whole plan was kind of inspired by that little stunt of yours." She noticed the teen swell a little with pride. "You kind of showed us what to do and what NOT to do." Usa's eyes sought the floor._

"_Are we coming along, too?" Jun ventured curiously. Everyone could see they all wanted to go, except for Palla-Palla, who didn't quite seem to understand._

"_You bet," nodded Minako. "This will be another step toward you four actually becoming senshi." She noticed Usa make a face._

"_Watch us kick this thing's butt!" boasted Ves._

"_Wrong," Minako informed them. "You four and Princess Usagi will be watching us only. You are to pay strict attention to everything we do, because this will be on your next test. You will not act in any way, either with powers or physical skills, unless a civilian or Queen Serenity is under direct and imminent threat of harm. Otherwise, you five sit this one out and watch us."_

"_How come?" Jun protested._

"_Because by watching," Minako replied with a cocked eyebrow, "you know-it-alls might actually learn something for a change."_

"_OK," Makoto said, rising from her seat, "let's hit the air car."_

_The air car took off from the palace aeropad and landed a short time later in the main square of The Promenade. As they disembarked, Usa noticed that CDP officers had condoned off a large area of the square to keep back the throngs of on-lookers. She also noticed that each officer had a ward stuck to the helmets they wore and deduced that they were to protect the officers from the demon's influence. Similarly there were sacred symbols on the barricades that held back the crowd._

_But the pink-haired teen's attention was caught by her elder guardians. A thrill passed through her as she watched the four transform into the legendary Sailor Senshi. A similar thrill passed through the crowd and scattered applause broke out. _

_As they moved to the center of the cordoned off square, Usa studied them all intently. The senshi fanned out around Serenity into a protective circle, while Endymion hung back with the craft. Sailor Mercury had her computer out and her visor down, scanning the area. Sailor Mars had her hands straight and pressed vertically across her nose. She was chanting as she moved, but her eyes were open and alert. There was something between her hands. Usa stared and saw that it was a piece of jade. Sailor Jupiter's lightning rod was extended from her tiara, while Sailor Venus was poised and ready to move like a stalking cat. When they reached a certain point, everyone stopped. Serenity spread her arms from her hips slightly and let her head fall back. Her eyes were closed._

"_Mercury," Sailor Mercury said. "Frozen Touch."_

_Instantly the cordoned off area flash froze. The breath of the five senshi was immediately visible. Waves of cold air wafted from the area and brushed against those watching. Usa concentrated on the scenario, trying to puzzle out what they were planning. Serenity began to glow silver and the plan began to reveal itself in Usa's mind. She swallowed nervously._

"_Get ready," Mars said to the others. "I feel it coming."_

_A gasp of shock ran through the crowd as a mass of energy formed above Serenity. It was visible because the silver energy that Serenity projected coated it and made it visible. There were vaguely human features to it. They seemed like a woman, but her makeup and hair were of an ancient time. She wore no clothes and had no form below the waist other than a wispy vapor. The demon felt a moment of confusion as it surveyed the Promenade._

"_Damn," Usa heard Ves mumble._

"_Venus Love Me Chain!" Venus called out. _

_The golden chain shot from her hand directly for the spirit. As it moved, Sailor Mars let fly with one of her wards. It shot through space like a launched arrow, intersected with the path of the chain and clung to it._

"_Supreme Thunder!" Jupiter roared. Lightning shot out, lent speed beyond its normal pace by the frigid cold of the area, and leaped to the metal links of the chain. The electricity infused the chain with a crackling blue-white energy._

_Usa saw that the demon had seen the chain. She saw it move to take refuge from the trap in Queen Serenity herself and took a step forward. But her father was faster. A rose zipped between the demon and Serenity, causing it to pull up. It was then the chain struck. The Love Me Chain snared the demon and wrapped around it, while the twin punch of the electricity and the sacred ward caused it to howl in pain. As Sailor Mars stepped forward, Serenity stepped back out of range. Usa could see her mother wasn't very steady on her feet._

"_Burning Mandala!" Mars cried out. _

_The sacred symbols of flame surrounded the demon and it howled in even more agony. The thing twisted and writhed frantically in an effort to escape, to no avail. Then suddenly it stiffened and burst in a puff of black smoke. The chain dropped to the pavement, empty._

"_We're clear," Mars announced. "The demon's been exorcized."_

_As if on cue, Serenity sank to her knees. Mars and Usa ran over to her and supported her. The applause of the crowd quickly turned to frightened gasps._

"_I told you this was a risk," Mercury clucked._

"_I'm all right!" Serenity fussed, though she seemed quite winded and just a little woozy. "Just a little light-headed. You know, normal for me."_

"_Sure, beat me to the punch line," Mars said with a smile._

"_Mom, are you sure you're all right?" Usa demanded._

"_She's coming around," Mercury said, using her computer as a medical scanner. "One of these days you're going to do that and not get up. I'd advise rest, but I know you're not going to listen."_

"_Just help me to the air car," Serenity sighed._

_As Serenity, leaning on Endymion, and the senshi returned to the air car to a thunderous round of applause from the watching crowds, the former Amazoness Quartet surged to them. Usa began to relax._

"_That was so cool!" Jun exclaimed. "You and the senshi just nailed that thing! It didn't stand a chance!"_

"_Yes," Mercury said, addressing the five girls as the other senshi and the Royal Family looked on. "Do you know why?"_

"_Because you're all bad asses?" Ves responded._

"_Yeah, that butt kicking looked real familiar," Jun added._

"_No," Mercury said. "It was because we went into the battle with a plan and we executed that plan as a coordinated team. You girls are all quite powerful and you each have the potential to become even more powerful. But if you act with a plan," and she looked directly at the former Amazoness Quartet, "and execute that plan as a team," and her gaze shifted so she was looking directly at Usa, "there won't be much that you five can't do."_

_Four of the five girls considered what Sailor Mercury said, while Palla-Palla just smiled blankly. _

"_Saddle up!" Venus called to everyone. "Time to head back to the palace for the post-battle party! Makoto's making pastry!"_

"_Who said I was making pastry?" Jupiter asked._

"_I don't know," Mars smirked, "but I heard it, too, so it must be true." Mercury just shook her head._

"_All right. I'm making pastry," sighed Jupiter. Serenity and Endymion paused at the hatch and Serenity turned to her daughter. _

"_Honey, why so down?" Serenity asked. "You're not still upset because your father punished you, are you?"_

_Usa murmured, "You six make it look so easy."_

"_Well, we have been at it a little while," Serenity said with a timid grin. "You'll get it. If I can figure it out, you certainly can." Still Usa's mood persisted in being muted. "Come on, Honey. Smile. Mako-Chan's making pastry. Certainly THAT'S worth a smile."_

_Usa looked down, her mood still muted. The others were already climbing into the air car, led by Palla-Palla. _

"_Yeah, I guess it is," Usa replied. A hint of a smile crossed her lips. "But try to limit yourself to six, huh Mom?"_

"_Oh, you're no fun!" huffed the Queen._

* * *

In an eerie echo of three years ago, an air car landed in a cordoned area of The Promenade. Disembarking were Sailor Mars, Sailor Moon and her senshi. The King and Queen had agreed - - the Queen reluctantly - - to allow Sailor Moon and her senshi to try to handle the situation. Immediately the crowd began cheering.

"Floral Animation!" Ceres called out. Instantly eighteen of her plant humanoids knitted themselves out of vines from seeds Ceres scattered. Once they were fully formed, the plant humanoids fanned out and formed a protective circle around the senshi, to guard against the demon possessing anyone and using them to attack the senshi. When they were in position, she nodded to the others.

"Aqua Initiation!" Juno called out. Instantly water evacuated from the underground pipelines through the fountain in the square. It coagulated together until it formed a globe of water roughly twenty feet high, perfectly controlled by the senshi. Juno nodded to Vesta.

"Fauna Combination, elephant electric eel!" Vesta called out. Morphing into an electric eel roughly the size of an elephant, Vesta dived into the water globe and began generating electric current. While she built up her charge, Vesta watched Pallas intently.

"Pallas is looking for the bad voice, but she's being naughty and doesn't want to come," Pallas announced.

Sailor Moon turned to Sailor Mars. Mars held the jade dragon statuette in her hands and was murmuring prayers.

"Keep looking, Pallas," Sailor Moon said confidently.

"Yes, Princess," Pallas said. Her eyes squeezed shut and her hands went to her temples. Then the senshi pointed up into the air. "She's up there!"

"Silver Moon Crystal Power Kiss!" Sailor Moon called out, directing her pink energy at the spot Pallas pointed to. As it was three years ago, the energy illuminated the demon. She was still female, still naked to the waist with a vapor trail beneath her. She hissed, her pudgy face causing her eyes to squint, and tugged at the energy, trying to escape. Sailor Moon struggled to keep her in the circle. She knew the plan wasn't for her to capture the demon, just to illuminate it and slow its reflexes so Sailor Mars would have a better shot. But memories of her failure three years ago began to haunt her. She had failed to contain the other one and this one was indeed bigger and more powerful. "Do it, Vesta!"

A loud pop echoed through the Promenade as electricity sizzled in the water globe, then shot out toward the demon. But the demon proved to be faster than Vesta's bolt, ducking underneath and charging Sailor Moon with talons raised and fangs bared. But before it could reach her, Sailor Saturn stepped forward. Her glaive arcing majestically, the violet senshi cleaved the space between her friend and the attacking demon, shaving some of the hair from it as it pulled up to avoid the blade.

"Beautiful Incantation!" Pallas called out. The demon was suddenly held by an invisible hand. It fought to free itself, but could not. Then a second bolt from Vesta, given added strength by the conductivity of the water globe, struck. The demon seized up.

"Burning Mandala!" Sailor Mars called out. The flaming mystic circle surrounded the demon. If it had been in pain from Vesta's electric bolt, it was in agony now. The demon struggled against the power of the mandala, struggled far longer than the one three years ago. When she realized that her attack wasn't going to destroy this demon the way it had the other one, Mars nodded to Sailor Moon.

"Plan B!" Sailor Moon shouted.

Using the telekinetic power of Pallas, the demon was forced down to the jade dragon statuette. It fought against the mystical pull of the artifact, but finally succumbed to its attraction. Mars brought her mandala down, compressing it so that the sacred symbols were burned onto the jade, trapping the demon there forever.

"Done," Mars proclaimed.

"Yay!" cheered Sailor Pallas. Around them, a groundswell of cheers and applause came from the population watching them. Vesta and Juno looked around at the cheering crowd with some surprise, while Saturn self-consciously shrunk into herself. Sailor Moon expelled a breath to try to mask the huge fatigue she felt and gathered her friends in.

"All it took was a team and a plan," she told them. "Good work, gang."

"And good riddance to that thing," Ceres added with grim satisfaction.

* * *

On a bench in Naru Park, Cere sat with her boyfriend, the famous artist Hiroki Kuroda. Their conversation was, from the looks of the handsome couple, serious.

"And that's why I'm staying with the senshi, Hiroki," Cere told him. "They need me. I have an obligation to them. And I have an obligation to the public. I have abilities," and Cere looked down, "and Queen Serenity has shown me that someone with advantages has to use those advantages to help people in need."

"And what about your obligation to yourself?" Hiroki asked. "Aren't you entitled to some peace? Aren't you entitled to stop fighting sometime before you finally die for your mission? You fought the good fight and you almost died for it. I don't think anybody would begrudge you deciding that you've given enough to the cause of humanity. And if they do, then their opinion isn't worth listening to."

"How happy would I be if Jun or Palla-Palla or Ves or Hotaru or Usa died because I wasn't there?" Cere asked. "I can have some happiness. Maybe not all the happiness I might have if I weren't a senshi . . ."

"Then what about me?" Hiroki asked. Cere looked and there was a glint in his eye that spoke of facetiousness, but there was a timber to his question that suggested he was serious. "You're willing to risk depriving me of my muse."

"You'll find another muse," Cere said cynically.

"I don't want another muse," Hiroki said, his eyebrow cocked in that way that gave Cere goose flesh. "I want you, in my studio, married to me, bearing my children, sharing my bed, walking around in fabulous, naked glory . . ."

"OK," smirked Cere. "As appealing as that is . . ."

"Including the naked part?" Hiroki asked.

"We'll talk," Cere replied. "Hiroki, I want that, too. I just - - can't do it yet. I wouldn't be happy. I'd always wonder 'what if'. Especially if one of the others died. Some day I'll reach a point where I just can't fight anymore. And then, if I'm not too emotionally beaten up - - and if you're still around . . ."

"Where am I going?"

"Chasing after another muse," Cere said. "Love is like a flower: some are perennials and others bloom beautifully and fade just as fast. I hope our love is a perennial, and if it is, some day I'll be so sick of fighting that I'll gladly make time to be your wife. But until then . . ."

"Until then you're going to throw away the deal of a lifetime," Hiroki interjected. "Big mistake."

"Story of my life," Cere replied, snuggling against him.

* * *

_The Princess sat in her room, on her bed, legs pulled up to her chest and her chin resting on her knees. The condemnation of her father still rang in her ears, despite what she had witnessed in The Promenade and despite the more jovial feelings of the after-battle party. Diana watched the girl suffer in silence and it tore at the gray cat's heart. She sprang up onto the bed and rubbed her head on Usa's hand._

"_Perhaps you could have succeeded, My Lady," Diana offered, "given different circumstances. Parts of this successful assault were taken from your attempt."_

"_No," Usa sighed. "It was a stupid plan. Pop was right. It put too many innocent people at risk. I was too busy thinking about how I was going to score some major cred as Sailor Moon to think of that part. It was sloppy. Now Mom and Pop have even less reason to trust me."_

"_Perhaps if I had given you better advice," Diana suggested. "Mother is always telling me that I must be more of an adviser and less of a companion."_

"_I don't think I would have listened," Usa murmured. Her hand reached down and stroked the gray cat's back. "Oh, Diana, at this rate, I'm NEVER going to be Sailor Moon. I'm going to be stuck in Mom's shadow for the rest of my life." She scowled. "With THEM as my companions."_

_The girl heaved a heavy sigh and buried her face into her knees._

"_I wish Helios was here," mumbled the girl. "I might be able to endure it if Helios was here. Being his wife, not being Sailor Moon wouldn't be so bad. But that's a long way off, if it ever happens." She sighed again. "Or Hotaru. It might not be so bad if Hotaru was_ _here. Or if I could go back to the twentieth century, visit Hotaru before she died." Her head raised up. "No, I couldn't do that. I couldn't come back here and leave her to die. I'd have to keep her from dying." _

_The light of inspiration ignited in the girl's red eyes. But just as quickly it extinguished._

"_No point wishing that," she said glumly. "Puu's not around anymore, so that means the Door of Time may as well be closed, locked and bolted." She sighed fatally. "Gods, I am such a failure!"_

_The girl let her head fall back against the bedpost. Diana ached for her friend. She wanted desperately to give the girl some hope, but she couldn't think of a way to do it. _

_And then she thought of a way. But did she have the right to do it?_

"_My Lady. What if," Diana began cautiously, "what if there were a way for you to go back to the twentieth century and save your friend?"_

The conclusion to that thought can be found in the story "Pink Rebellion". This story, though, has reached its

END


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